Sleeping on Stones
by TheArmada4231
Summary: A year after winning the games, Merida is forced to mentor the next round of tributes from 10: Bold and brash Astrid Hofferson, and brave and charming Flynn Rider. She is haunted by her past as she bonds with her tributes, knowing that she'll be sending them to their deaths. But when something goes wrong in the Arena, a plan to down Pitch is formed that Merida is dragged into.
1. Chapter 1

The woods feel more cramped than usual, as Merida stomps through the trees, bow in hand. They seem so different, and yet, a sense of familiarity hangs on the branches of the pines. Her feet ache and a sharp pain throbs in her calf muscle; a painful reminder of the events past.

The entire world seems to have gone quiet. The wind doesn't rustle the leaves that paint the sky orange and red. The branches don't creek, the animals have ceased their scuttling. It almost feels unnatural. Uneasily, Merida holds her bow in front of her, ready for whatever the silence threatens to release.

The twig that snaps under her feet makes her cringe and stand still. She's better than this. In all of her years of hunting, why, all of a sudden, has she slipped up and made a noise? Something moves behind a tree that catches in Merida's peripherals. She turns and steps, gingerly, toward the trunk of the towering oak.

She takes a deep breath and pivots around the tree, ready to let an arrow fly at her mystery stalker, but when her eyes meet the culprit, panic grips her throat and she nearly drops her bow at her feet.

"Poor form, Red, letting yourself off guard like that."

Merida doesn't have to think twice about firing the arrow. It whizzes through the air but before the arrow can even reach the tall, brunette, she is already dead.

Oceana lays at her feet, a broken, bloody mess. But instead of pride, Merida feels petrified. Her entire body quakes with fear.

_Don't turn around. Don't turn around!_

But it's too late. She turns, faced with a site that has haunted her for the past 11 months.

Jack, lodging a spear into his own chest, as he crumbles to the ground. Only instead of silence, he looks up at her and whispers her name.

"Merida..."

The guilt floods through her veins.

_I should have stopped him! I should have saved him!_

"Jack!" She screams, running for him, something that she had only wished she had done back in the arena, but every time she seems to draw closer to him, a huge gust of wind blows her back.

White light blinds her as she fights her way to her dying friend and she calls out his name again.

"Jack! Jack! Hold on Jack!"

The light is too strong for her now and she feels herself jolt upright.

Her mother stands on the far side of her bedroom, drawing back the curtains and letting in the sunlight. She wears a frown as she turns to face her daughter.

"I'm sorry," she says, softly. "I didn't mean to wake you like that. You were talking...I just assumed you were awake."

Merida blinks to take in her surroundings. The room is still unfamiliar to her, and as comfortable as her new bed is, Merida can't seem to get a restful night of sleep in it.

For winning the Hunger Games, Merida had received a brand new, fairly extravagant, house for her and her family to live, in what was known as Victor's Village. Her brothers had taken to it quite easily, and so had her mother. It was definitely much more modern than the mildewy shack where they had once abided. Her father, however, was indifferent to it all.

Merida shifts under her comforter and pushes her tangled mess of hair out of her face.

"I was talking?" She asks, giving her mother a curious look. The woman only shrugs and draws back the second set of curtains.

"Nothing important..." She trails off, rubbing her hands together, once the windows are open, letting in the cool, summer breeze.

The world outside was a brilliant green and sandy brown, contrasting wildly with the white walls that surrounded her. Everything was clean and everything was white. She hated it.

"Nothing important," Merida mutters, repeating her mother's words, but she knows that they are lies. She knows what name she's called out in the middle of every night; which familiarly, nightmarish scene had plagued her sleep for the past year.

And he was anything _but_ "not important".

"I made breakfast," Merida's mother says, turning to face her. "Eggs and toast." The look of pride in her eyes always made Merida feel a little bit better about winning the games. Her family was now very well off, as food was never an obstacle anymore. She had even been generous enough to take extra food down to the other citizens of District 10, but mostly, it went to the owner of the stables, Mr. Haddock, Hiccup's father. She feels like it is only right that he should share in their wealth, seeing as he's lost his only son.

The food was one thing the Merida doesn't mind being given by the Capital.

Well that, and immunity.

The most important thing in her life, since returning from the Games, was making sure that her brothers never have to face another Reaping, ever again. Pitch had complied, only once Merida promised to do something she never dreamed of doing in a million years.

Merida had promised President Pitch that she would mentor the next round of Tributes from District 10.

"Are you coming?" Her mother snaps her back into reality, as she begins to exit the room. Merida nods quickly and folds her hands on her lap.

"Erm, yeah. I'll be down." She smiled weakly. "Could you give me a minute?"

Her mother nods and walks out, closing the door shut behind her.

Merida is left alone in the familiarly, unfamiliar bedroom. She rubs her temples before tossing off her blankets and throwing her legs over the side of the bed. Stretching, she stands up and moves toward the window to soak up the sun.

The view of Victor's Village is very much unlike the rest of District 10. The road is paved and there are several large houses lining the street. The hills are nowhere to be seen out of this window. Merida had always walked past the village as a child and daydreamed of what it would be like to live in one of the extravagant houses, but now that she was actually doing so, she wanted nothing more than her old, rustic, shack of a home.

Merida strips out of her night dress and underwear, letting them drop in a heap on the hardwood floor. She stands there, naked, in front of the large mirror that hangs on the far wall. There are scars that paint her body like abstract art. The most noticeable of them is the one on her leg. It flares a brilliant, bright pink and stretches the length of her calf. Merida doesn't care about hiding any of her other wounds, but this one...

This one makes her relive the most painful memory of her entire life. Whenever she sees the inflamed skin, her mind races with images of Oceana's dark eyes that flash with bloodlust.

The door to her bedroom swings open with a great force and Merida's face flushes in panic. She quickly lunges for the bed, ripping off the sheets, and throwing them around her naked body.

"Could you knock!" She yells, turning back to see who the culprit is. Esmeralda saunters into the room and raises an eyebrow, before tapping her knuckles against the doorframe, almost sarcastically.

"Oops," she says flatly, entering, despite not getting a direct answer. Merida blushes, embarrassed and glares at her.

"What the hell, Es!? Don't you understand the concept of privacy?" Esmeralda only shrugs and steps into the room, folding her arms across her chest.

"I've seen you naked, during Mal's dress-up sessions, Merida. It's not something I'd willingly see again." Her smirk makes Merida roll her eyes and move quickly to her dresser, still holding up her sheet.

"Don't remind me of those," she groans.

During the Victory Tour, Maleficent had decided to tag along and dress Merida, for each District, in different apparel. Usually, the dressing would happen in the main room of their train. It was as if she had never even learned what "privacy" meant.

Merida throws on fresh underwear and pulls out a t-shirt with a decent sized, brown stain on the front. Out of her peripherals, she can see Esmeralda frown.

"You're not going to wear that, are you?"

"Why not?" Merida narrows her eyes and wrinkles her nose at her former mentor.

"Have you forgotten already?"

_Forgotten what?_

But Merida doesn't need to ask. The quizzical look on her face must be enough, because Esmeralda is already rolling her eyes and moving to dig through her dresser.

"You're meeting with Pitch and the other mentors today at four o'clock to be briefed on your duties this year." She pulls out a deep red, short sleeved dress and eyes Merida curiously. "I think you're the only new one this time, so I take it you'll actually have to pay attention."

"I'm not wearing that," Merida snorts at the gown in disgust. "I stopped wearing what you people tell me after I got out of the arena."

Es shakes her head in annoyance and tosses the dress at the stubborn redhead.

"You might not always have to listen to me," she says, crossing her arms, "but you'll always have to answer to Pitch."

"To hell with him."

Whenever Merida hears his name, a shiver of rage runs through her body. She has never loathed a human being as much as she loathed him. But as angry as she is, she knows that it's pointless to take it out on Esmeralda. After all, she had been the only person in District 10 who understood what Merida was dealing with after the games, and for that, she is grateful.

Feeling humbled by that realization once again, she steps into the red dress and sighs.

"Tie me up, would'ja?" Merida ask, presenting her back to the woman, who smiles, triumphantly.

"You should wear red more often," she says, pulling the strings of her gown, tightly. Merida rolls her eyes and doesn't reply. She has never been one to take compliments sincerely.

"What time are we leaving?" She asks, straitening up, as Es finishes tying her dress. Her former mentor frowns a bit and averts her eyes.

"You have to be at the train by one." Merida turns and give her an uneasy look.

"Why do you mean 'you'?" Es crosses her arms and sighs. "You're coming with me, right?"

"I have other obligations," she mutters, not looking Merida in the eye. The redhead is about to protest, when she cuts her off. "But Tooth will be going with you." Merida frowns.

"I'd rather go alone, than with Toothiana."

"You know, as annoying as she might be, she really does care about you." Esmeralda moves across the room, toward the door. "And Hiccup too."

Merida is caught off guard by the mention of the boys name. She turns her gaze to the floor and chews on her lower lip.

"Yeah," is all she can manage to say.

As much as she can't stand the Capitol-bred, rainbow-haired woman, she knows how hard it was for her to lose Hiccup. He was kind to her and polite. After Merida's return, she remembers hearing Tooth's muffled cries, late at night, on the Victory Tour. Every now and then, she could even hear her humming that old lullaby that she'd taught Hiccup and her. And it broke Merida's heart to know that the petite, normally cheerful, lady was crushed by the loss of one of her closest friends.

"All I can do is wish you luck." Esmeralda interrupts her private thoughts, and raises an eyebrow at her. Merida fakes a smile.

"Thanks."

She looks at her dresser and wrinkles her nose. Glistening, beside her hairbrush, is a small, golden, horse pin. She traces her fingers along the figure and sighs. She scoops it up in her palm and pins it to her chest, in plain sight. The memories that flood through her brain make her head pound.

Esmeralda lets out a heavy sigh and stands in the doorway, playing with her bracelets. She looks disgruntled, but doesn't say anything. Merida clears her throat to fill the gaping silence in the air.

"I should probably get to breakfast..." She moves to slide passed Es, and out the door but is stopped by overwhelming emotion and instead, pulls her into a hug. The raven-haired woman is clearly shocked at first, but eases up and returns the hug after a moment.

"You're on your own this time around," Es says, her voice, muffled by Merida's tangled mess of hair. "And it's not any easier on the other side of the Games."

"I know." Merida pulls away from the hug and whisks her way out of the room, without another word. As she turns to head down the steps, she takes a quick glance back to see Esmeralda standing against the doorframe, rubbing her temples. For the first time since Merida has known the woman, she looks, almost fragile.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

***fanfare***

**Hello all! And welcome back for another exciting installment of the Hunger Games AU series! :D **

**I'm so thrilled to be writing a sequel to We Could Be Heroes! **

**I hadn't expected to be writing it so soon after ending the first, but I was feeling drawn to it and was having some post-fic-withdraw and just HAD to keep going.**

**I have a lot planned out for this fic, and it's gonna be longer than WCBH.**

**Can't wait to have another adventure with these characters! **

**Next chapter, to be updated soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you going to finish that?" Hubert reaches over and snatches up a piece of toast from off of Harris's plate before he can even give a proper response.

"Hands off!" He growls, grabbing the slightly burnt bread, sending crumbs falling to the floor.

"Boys, behave," their mother says sternly, from where she sits at the table. "There's plenty of toast left for you to eat your own, Hubert."

Merida sits and stares at her plate. This morning, for some reason, the smell of eggs doesn't seem very appealing. She nibbles on her dry toast and pushes her plate of eggs toward the center of the table.

"If you're still hungry," she announces, "you can eat my eggs." All three of her brothers look up at her, simultaneously. They give each other uneasy looks.

"Erm, that's ok." Hamish speaks for the three of them, as they all seem to slink down in their chairs. "You should eat..." He trails off and takes a sip of his juice to show that he is done talking. Merida scrunches her nose in annoyance.

Ever since her return, her brothers have been very different around her; particularly, Hamish. None of them like to look her in the eyes anymore. They seem to walk on eggshells around her, as though at any moment, she would snap. It always leaves Merida feeling more alone than ever, knowing that there are people all around, and yet, no one bothers with her. She pushes her chair out and stands, snatching up her half-eaten plate of eggs.

"Fine," Merida grumbles. "I'll leave them for dad." She huffs, striding over to the counter and setting the plate down on the granite. Moving for the doorway, she clenches her fists together.

"Merida, dear," Eleanor calls, lifting her head. "Where are you going? You have to be at the station in an hour!" Merida tries to ignore her mother, but it feels strange. Isn't this what she wanted? Attention?

"I'm going to the stables to visit Mr. Haddock. He probably hasn't had breakfast yet." She throws a few eggs and a loaf of bread into a sack that hangs by the door and tosses it over her shoulder.

And with that, she takes her leave.

Her radiant, red gown sweeps the dirt roads as she walks, briskly though the streets. Eyes fall on her but are quickly averted.

_'That's Merida, the Capital's girl.'_

She can hear it in the way they glare at her, and the way they cover their mouths and whisper. Merida doesn't bother to acknowledge them; she just keeps walking, shifting the weight of the sack on her shoulders.

The barn door is hanging open when she arrives and the smell of fresh hay fills her nostrils. She breathes it in, feeling a calming sensation course through her body. She steps into the musty barn and looks around.

Everything seems normal. Merida takes several steps forward before hearing a snort of delight, coming from the cracked, wooden stall to her right. She is about to smile, ready to greet her horse, when her face falls, catching a glimpse of the stall across the way.

Her heart sinks into her stomach as she takes a step toward the stall...

_It's empty!_

She can hear Angus stomping his feet in his own stall, but Merida isn't concerned for him just yet. A horse is missing. Her newest responsibility...missing.

_Toothless is gone!_

"Toothless!" Merida calls, trying to keep her voice at an even decibel.

"Tooth!"

"Merida?"

She spins around and is met by a stout, muscular man, with a beard that falls past his chest. He gives her a curious look and tilts his head.

"It's rather early. What are ya doin' here at this time of the mornin'?" The man's thick mane of hair is tied at the bottom in three, skinny braids that dangle past his shoulder blades. He has a kind of sadness in his eyes that can only be found in those that are dead, or a hundred years old, yet he manages to give her a welcoming tone of voice.

"Mr. Haddock," Merida stutters and runs a hand through her hair. She feels silly in her gown, and her face flushes in embarrassment. "I was just...stopping by." She holds up her sack of food and clears her throat. "I brought you some breakfast."

Mr. Haddock smiles and crosses his arms.

"Lassie, ya didn't have to bring me anything." Merida shrugs and holds it out to him, her eyes, shifting around the barn, still searching for Toothless.

"Yeah, well..." She doesn't look him in the eyes as he takes the food from her.

"Ah, thanks, Ginger." He smiles politely, using his pet name for her. Merida doesn't mind. It's much better than Red. She nods and takes a deep breath.

"Erm, sir," she clears her throat, searching for her words, but they never come. He gives her a curious look and raises a bushy eyebrow.

"Somethin' the matter?"

"Uh..." She shakes her head and eyes the empty stall. "Where's Toothless?"

Merida expects him to be concerned, or shocked, but instead, he seems rather collected. This takes her by surprise.

"A little, blonde lass came by at sunrise and took him for a ride. She has no horse of her own and is wantin' to start ridin'."

The fact that Hiccup's horse is accounted for should send relief washing over her, and yet, she can't but feel a little bit annoyed.

"Oh." Merida moves to the stall where her own horse is stomping his hooves impatiently. "Maybe I'll go check on them, you know, make sure she's handling him ok..."

It had taken Merida about a month before Toothless would finally trust her enough to let her ride him without a fight. Even now, the stallion is rather restless and after a year of being without Hiccup, still seems to be waiting for him to return. It breaks her heart to see him so hopeful.

"Aye, well," the farmer nods his head, "be careful. Don't want our little victor gettin' dirtied up before her big meeting with Pitch." There is sarcasm oozing in his tone as Merida unhooks Angus' gate, and climbs onto the Friesian's back.

"I'll try my best to stay out of the dirt," she retorts with an eye roll. Digging her heals into her horses sides, she feels him rear beneath her and take off.

Her hands grip the reigns tightly as she rides, sweat collecting on her brow. The summer sun beats down on her back and the air that twists around her face, is sticky and warm. Angus lets out a huff as he runs. Merida pats his thick neck and tangles her fingers into his mane. The euphoria she feels, the freedom... It's the closest she can get to the feelings she had once known before the Games.

Where hope, and passion had once been, now fear and loneliness have settled.

In the distance, Merida can see a girl and a horse upon one of the grassy hills. The girl stands beside the pitch-black stallion and keeps her hand atop the small of his back. Merida narrows her eyes and clicks her tongue, signaling Angus to slow down. She doesn't know why, but the sight of this blonde stranger with Hiccup's horse makes her blood boil.

"Hey!" She calls out. She hadn't planned on it being so sharp, but her tone is like a dagger as she sits up straight, to seem as tall as she can be. The girl jumps, startled at the sudden appearance of Merida. There is fear in her eyes upon seeing the redhead, and it doesn't surprise Merida in the slightest. Winning the Hunger Games had come with few prizes; one of which included intimidation. But almost immediately as the thought crosses Merida's mind, the girl's fear seems to fade away entirely. She folds her arms across her chest and shifts her weight so that her hip sticks out.

"'Hey', yourself," she snaps, raising an eyebrow. Merida curls her lip in annoyance and jerks on Angus' reigns to keep him still.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She growls. Her annoyance only deepens as Blondie smirks.

"I'm Astrid, nice to meet you." Toothless lets out a snort and stomps his feet where he stands. Merida narrows her eyes.

"I never asked," she hisses. The girl only shrugs and looks away, uninterested. Merida shakes her head in slight disbelief.

_Is she really so ignorant?_

"I'm not going to ask again," she growls. "What the hell are you doing?" She emphasizes each word with a tinge of venom. The girl called Astrid meets her gaze, almost annoyed.

"I _was_ trying to ride this..." she eyes Toothless with a hint of mockery, "...beast, but he threw me off." Merida feels herself smirk a bit at her misfortunes.

"Serves you right!" She scoffs. "He isn't yours to ride."

"So I take it he's yours then?" Astrid raises an eyebrow and shifts her weight onto her other leg. Her tone mimics an arrogance that Merida once knew, all too well. It's a kind of attitude that, for that last eleven months, she's been avoiding. It all too painfully reminded her of someone she once cared about.

"I take care of him," she says, lowering her voice. It is all that she can think to say that won't trigger a flood of haunting images. She slides off of Angus and lands with a dull thud on the grass. Astrid doesn't move; her feet seem to be planted in the dirt.

Until just then, Merida hadn't recognized the girl. Finally, seeing her, eye to eye, the resemblance is so striking, she wonders how she could have missed it.

"You're the Mayor's daughter!"

She nearly blurts it out, a sense of accomplishment filling the space where her common sense should be. Astrid looks cross, her eyes burning with some fit of irritation.

"Congratulations," she drones sarcastically. She flips her braided, blonde hair over her shoulder and rolls her eyes. Merida puts her hands on her hips and tilts her head, curiously, her prior aggravation with the stubborn girl, subsiding.

"Astrid Hofferson..." She ruminates. "That means you're Kristoff's sister?" The fairly extensive, Hofferson family tree starts to take shape in her mind.

"Half sister," Astrid grumbles, averting her eyes, as though the association with the muscular, blonde, blacksmith makes her uncomfortable.

Merida takes a step forward and snags up Toothless' reigns, while the stallion is distracted with a clump of grass. He protests only slightly, before familiarizing himself with his caretakers touch, and preoccupying himself again.

"Your father wouldn't be too happy to hear that you've been sneaking around at the stables in the mornings, would he?" Merida tugs at Toothless and ties his reigns to Angus'. Astrid's eyes widen, nervously.

"I am _not_ sneaking!" She sputters, before regaining her collected composure.

"So you wouldn't be opposed to me paying a visit to the town square later on today and-"

"Ok! Fine!" The girl caves. "My father doesn't know I'm down here." She averts her eyes and chews her lip. "He doesn't even know that I'm not at home." Merida rolls her eyes and remounts her steed, struggling with her gown. The damn thing doesn't want to stay in one place on her lap!

"Get back home," she orders, "and next time you decide to go on one of your little, shit-show, horse escapades, I won't hesitate to report it to your father." Astrid glares at her, a snarl on her lips.

_If looks could kill..._

The whole ride back to the stable is a struggle. Toothless is hellbent on making things difficult for Merida, as she and Angus drag him along. He fights, obviously unhappy with the fact that he can't stay in the fields any longer.

"Come _on_, Toothless," She huffs. "You're so stubborn!"

As they go, slowly along, Merida has time to sort through her thoughts.

Astrid remains in the forefront, her arrogant smirk, burned into Merida's brain.

The Hoffersons, as far as she knows, are a group of wealthy, Capitol-pleasing, District 10, elites, but not in the way that an outsider would consider them. She, herself, has never formally met them and only knows what her father would tell her of the mayor and his family.

Arnheim, the patriarch of the Hofferson family, had married a peacekeeper named Brynja at a young age, clinching him a place to stay in the Capitol where the two of them had originally planed to raise a family. But soon after the couple was married, Brynja fell in love with the countryside and chose to settle among the lower-class citizens of Panem instead. The couple had a son together and raised him as a working man in the district. The young, strong, Kristoff, looked more like Brynja than his father; long, blonde hair, and muscles that could break stone.

Not long after he was born, Brynja passed away and Arnheim married a widow named Ingrid, who had already mothered two daughters, Aislin and Lyra. The Capitol, however, frowned upon their marriage, disliking Ingrid for her lowly status and deemed her unfit to assist in governing District 10, so soon after they were wed, the family was written off as traitors, and President Pitch had their daughter, Lyra, kidnapped and raised in the Capitol, as punishment. The family, since then, stopped associating with the Capitol and sometimes went out of their way to break some rules. This part of the Mayor, Merida enjoyed.

A few years after the troubles with Pitch, Astrid was born, and then, the two youngest boys, Alaric and Agnar.

Merida's thoughts are interrupts by a sudden jerk on the reigns.

"Hey!" She growls, as Toothless kicks up his hind legs, throwing dust into the air and covering her dress. She groans, throwing her head back.

_I am never taking fashion advice from Esmeralda again!_

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**HORRAY FOR NEW CHARACTERS! **

**I'm actually so excited for Astrid's appearance because she is a lot like Jack and Merida combined. It's the best of both worlds! ((Without Hannah Montana...))**

**Also, the Hofferson clan is really interesting and they'll show up a bit later, so that's good xD **

**The next chapter will be up in a few days to a week! :) **


	3. Chapter 3

Merida hadn't intentionally avoided Toothiana for all those months, but it sure felt like forever since she'd seen the rainbow-haired woman. The Victory Tour had ended in February and since then, Merida's hands had been washed clean of all things Capitol related, and that included her former sponsor. So now, seeing her again, it feels, almost nice.

_Almost._

It doesn't surprise her that the first thing that the woman says to her is about how she's dressed.

"Did you wrestle a hog or something?" She snips, thumbing her nose at the muddied gown that clings to Merida's body. "You look like a dusty, red, mop."

"I missed you too..." Merida mumbles under her breath as she stands on the platform, waiting for the train. The heat from the sun makes her sweat, but there is a breeze that tugs at the strands of her hair. Merida closes her eyes, breathing in the coolness.

Her peace is ripped away from her as she feels an immense pressure on her shoulders, dragging her backwards.

"Hubert," her mother's voice calls from behind her. "Don't jump on your sister. She needs to be in one piece when she arrives at the Capitol." There is laughter in her voice as she speaks. It's odd, that since winning the games, the Capitol has become more of a pest than a major trauma in their household. But not for Merida.

"Sorry Mer," Hubert sniggers, leaping off of her back. She rubs her shoulder and groans.

"You're such a pain," she grumbles, giving him a playful glare. "You know I hate that nickname!" That is only partially true. Her brother sticks his tongue out at her in return.

"Merida, dear," Eleanor breathes, pulling her daughter into a hug, and kissing her forehead. "Make sure to get plenty of rest on the train so that you're ready for your meeting with Pitch and the other mentors." Merida tries not to roll her eyes and bite back a snarky remark about the "meeting".

_The only reason Pitch wants me there is to rub in my face how much control he has over me_.

But she won't tell her mother that. She will continue to let them all believe that the are safe, and that everything is fine and dandy in Panem.

"I will Mom," Merida decides to settle on a simple response and smiles at her family. Her father stands behind Eleanor and nods, without a word. He isn't one for meaningless prattle, and for that, she is grateful.

The train whooshes into the station not a moment later, blowing Merida's already rowdy hair like a twister. She groans and decides that she just can't win and maybe she should have let Maleficent cut it off when she had the chance, back before the Games.

"Take care of Angus and Toothless for me, will ya?" She raises an eyebrow at her little brothers who all nod at the same time.

"We will," Hamish says without looking her in the eyes. Merida frowns, as she hears a nagging chirp from behind her.

"Merida!" Tooth calls in a singsongy voice. "Hurry up! We haven't got all day!" Merida rolls her eyes and huffs in defeat.

"Thanks you guys," she says, ruffling their curly, red hair and turning away from them.

She is ready to board the train when she hears the familiar jingling of bracelets and hair bells from somewhere on the platform. Merida swivels around in time to see Esmeralda cross her arms and sidle her way toward the train. She wears a sturdier face than the one Merida remembers seeing from this morning.

"Es," Merida says with a nod. "I thought you said you weren't coming..." Her former mentor takes a deep breath and sighs.

"I came by to remind you to try not to kill Toothiana while you're trapped in there with her for the day. Because trust me, the temptation is there."

Merida lets out a snort of laughter and shakes her head.

"I'll try my best," she says, sarcastically. The look in Esmeralda's eyes makes her want to pull her into a hug like they'd done earlier, but with everyone around, she knows that it would be less welcome. Instead, she puts a hand on her shoulder and smiles.

"See you later, Es."

Esmeralda doesn't give a verbal response, but she nods and slides out of Merida's grip, turning to stand beside Eleanor.

Merida sighs and boards the train not a moment before the door slides shut behind her.

"This train will get us to the Capitol in a few short hours," Toothiana says with a sigh and she flits around the car, dragging her perfectly sculpted fingertips across table tops and mirror rims. "Maybe, while we're cramped up in here, we can..." she turns to look at Merida and claps her hands together in excitement, "catch up!"

Already, she wishes she was somewhere else. The playful innocence in Tooth's eyes makes it hard for Merida to be her usual, snarky and disdainful self. This woman is naught but a fragile shell of the old Tooth. This Tooth has seen the death of a friend, and that changes a person.

_I would know..._

"Erm, that sounds nice..." Merida lies through her teeth and passes a wishful glance out of the window and onto the platform as the slowly chugs away. Just before the station is whisked out of her view, Merida thinks that she sees Astrid standing there, watching as they leave, but she shakes her head and the girl is gone, right along with the rest of District 10.

"Splendid!" Toothiana squeaks, raising her shoulders in jubilation. "I'll let you freshen up and then we'll talk!"

The bathroom on the train is much nicer even than the one in her own home. An entire wall is covered in mirrors and the sinks are large enough to hold three average sized cats. Not to mention, the bathtub is so extensive that Merida has to question how many people have been in it at once. She shudders, shaking the thought from her head and strips out of her gown, letting it drop in a pile at her feet. She kicks it across the floor and lets the water run into the tub.

Merida stands in her underwear and looks to the mirror wall with a sigh. Her scars and freckles make her feel ugly. Granted, she had never really felt the least bit beautiful, but here, fully exposed to her flaws, she feels absolutely hideous. She chews her lower lip as the thoughts that she has had since leaving the arena flood through her brain and make her clench her fists.

_I wish I had died in that arena._

But it doesn't do her much good now to wish death upon herself. Her family needs her.

_But Panem needs Jack. And Mr. Haddock needs Hiccup._

Merida takes no time to remove her underwear and lower herself into the bathtub. The water is ice cold, but she doesn't mind. Actually, she prefers the cold. Everything is hot to her now. After being with Jack for so long in the arena, relying in his frigid touch to pull her along, nothing felt nearly as cooling anymore. The water calms her static heart.

The time slips away from her as the icy water soaks into her skin and hair. For the first time in a what feels like years, everything seems to stand still.

"Merida!"

_Well it was good while it lasted._

The quick knock is only a preface to the door swinging open without permission. Merida turns bright pink and pulls her hands over her naked body.

"Tooth!" She gasps, "I- I'm naked!"

"I knocked." The little lady says with a shrug and steps closer to the tub, her feet tangling in the heap of dress on the tiles. She frowns and gives a small shake of her head. "You should take better care of your things, Merida, darling."

"Well don't step all over it!" Merida growls, forgetting to be hospitable. "It's not a door mat!"

But instead of reacting with more bitterness, Tooth simply reaches down and straitens out Merida's gown, hanging it over her arm.

"I'm sorry," she says, brushing it off. "I didn't mean to." It wasn't a particularly apologetic tone, but Merida took it as such, nonetheless. She sighs and relaxes her muscles. There was no point in getting snippy with her.

"No," she frowns. "You're right. I shouldn't have left it there in the first place." Tooth only nods, settling herself on the closed toilet seat, crossing her thin legs.

"It's a thing of the past." She chirps, dismissively, patting the folded gown. "You can't think too much about those things. It'll only make moving ahead that much more difficult."

The words pack a punch, straight to Merida's heart. All this time, wallowing in her selfish pity, forgetting to live...it was destroying her.

_But do I really want to move on?_

"So tell me dear," Tooth continues, accepting silence as a practical response. "What have you been up to lately?"

It isn't the most ideal of situations to be sharing her past year with the woman, stripped naked in a bath tub, but her former sponsor seems hellbent on making this happen.

"Erm..." Merida shrugs, the sound of the water sloshing around as she moves. "I haven't been doing much. Taking care of the horses with Mr. Haddock."

"Ah," Toothiana nods, her eyes flicking down to her hands, which sit folded on her knee cap. "How is Stoick doing? You know after..." She pauses and glances up at the soggy redhead for a split second before returning to her original posture.

"He's doing ok," Merida answers, aware of how difficult it must be for Tooth to recall the Games. "He has been getting some of our food shares from the Capitol."

"Well that's wonderful." The little woman gives a half smile, her eyes darting about the room. "How's your leg?" She changes the subject without much thought and Merida is stuck, looking for the right words.

"It's healing..." She sighs, shrugging, as though it were only a scratch.

Not much else is said. Tooth nods curtly and stays in her seat on the toilet. At this point, the awkward tension in the air has faded and Merida can peacefully continue her bath, kind of welcoming the presence of someone else. Toothiana must enjoy the company as well, for she never makes to leave.

Merida takes the bar of soap and scrubs her body, washing away the grime that worked its way into her pores. When she get to her arm, she sighs. The bare skin makes her feel incomplete. Where her temporary "brave" tattoo had been, now only freckles adorn her pale flesh. She runs her thumb along the empty space and chews her lip.

"Tooth," she says, breaking the silence. Toothiana looks up from her vacant staring an tilts her head curiously. "Will we have time to see Maleficent before I have to meet with Pitch?"

"You can't be serious!" Tooth gasps, staring at the green woman with wide and angry eyes. "A tattoo!? A permanent one!?"

"Oh hush up! I dye skin all the time." Maleficent rolls her eyes, examining Merida's arm intently.

"If I'd have known that this was your intent in coming here, I never would have agreed!" Toothiana glowers at Merida. "You're mother would be so-"

"I'm 18." Merida points out, using her best and most mature tone of voice. "My mother doesn't make decisions for me anymore. And neither do you."

The coolness of Mal's fingers feels good against her heated skin. She pokes with her long fingernails, dragging a dull pencil across the red-head's arm.

"You have to meet with President Pitch in a half an hour!" Tooth reminds them both, her face contorting in something resembling a frown.

"I only need 20 minutes." Maleficent replies with a triumphant smile. "Take a seat Mer-ih-da. I'll need to get you started right away."

Merida grimaces, not exactly fond of the woman's constant mispronunciation of her name, but complies.

"Now hold still, deary." Mal pulls out a thin needle and presses it, gingerly, against the inside of her patient's forearm. "There's no point in me lying to you. This /will/ sting quite a bit."

But Merida is used to pain. The needles hurt, of course, but it's nothing that she hasn't faced before. And even through it all, the only thing that she can think that distracts her from the sting and makes it all seem, almost sweet, is the look on Pitch's face when he sees what he should have seen in her all along. He never should have trusted her. And he never should have doubted how brave she really is.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**TA-DA! **

**Chapter three was kinda short I think. I've been trying to work Tooth in a lot. Like as much as I can because I promise she's important later on. **

**Other than the tattoo and creepy Tooth... Nothing really happened in this chapter. **

**((Hey btw, I'm writing all of these WAY in advance. Like this is being finished on May 16th and who knows when I'll post it.)) **


	4. Chapter 4

"I cannot believe you would do something so rash and so...so childish!"

"I know."

"It is extremely irresponsible to follow impulses like that! You're supposed to be a mentor to these tributes, not a rabble-rouser!"

"I know..."

"Your mother is going to be furious if she finds out that I let you-"

"Tooth!_ I know_!"

Merida scratches at the cloth that wraps her forearm. The biting jabs at Merida's new ink had been nonstop since leaving Maleficent's office and now, standing in the elevator on the way to the mentor's meeting, they are almost worse. But it didn't matter. It was already done.

"Pitch is going to be beside himself when he sees it," Tooth chirps quietly. Merida can't help but smirk at the mental picture of a disgruntled Pitch, seeing her tattoo for the first time.

"I know."

The elevator whooshes open as the automated voice chimes "Floor 13" and Merida steps out. Tooth grabs her wrist before they can separate and sighs.

"Please," she says, her eyes sinking with sadness. "Don't do anything stupid." Merida doesn't know how to respond right away, but by the time she finds her words, the colorful woman lets go of her arm and is whisked away by the elevator again.

She stands there for a moment, a devious feeling in her chest as she looks around the long hallway. There is a towering clock that stands on the far end and if she squints, she can just make out the little numbers.

Four o'clock exactly. Merida pats down her red gown and sighs. Mal had been so kind as to wash it out for her before the meeting.

She knows that Pitch would be furious with her already, what with her new tattoo, but being late to his little meeting would just be the icing on top of that crappy little cupcake. She swings her arms back and forth, passing the time by counting the number of tiles in the long hall. The sound of the elevator door sliding open behind her, after several moments, makes her jump.

"Where are you supposed to be, girl?"

Merida spins around, trying her best to remain collected. She is, after all, where she's supposed to be...

_Right?_

The pair that stands before her looks as different from each other as anyone could. The man has shaggy orange hair and a long nose that comes to a dull point, sticking out nearly two inches from his face. His eyes are devious and charcoal black, flooding Merida's mind with memories of the cat-eyed boy called Peter Pan that had plagued her nightmares. She doesn't want to look him in the eyes and so she turns her attention to the woman who had addressed her.

Her skin is pale and her hair is black as a raven. Her eyes are narrow and her lips, pencil thing as she pouts, her petite hands balancing delicately on her hips. Merida doesn't recognize either of them immediately, but they seem to recognize her, for both of their faces shift, dramatically.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the woman says, shaking her head. "I nearly didn't recognize you with your back turned." Her gaze softens as the man beside her chuckles.

"How could we miss that? It should have been a dead giveaway with her giant-"

"Scar?" Merida snaps, almost impulsively, feeling embarrassed and self conscious. The young man looks taken aback and shakes his head in slight confusion.

"I was going to say hair..." He raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms. Merida's face flushes with embarrassment, so she averts her eyes down to the floor. She feels so childish for speaking out of line.

"I take it you're headed to the mentor's meeting?" The woman asks, tilting her head to the side. "Pitch made Robin and I run all sorts of errands before it started but," her eyes flit to the clock at the end of the hall, "they took a little longer than expected." She passes a glance over at the man called Robin and smiles.

"Why doesn't Pitch run his errands on his own?" Merida scoffs and rolls her eyes at the president's dominance over the citizens of Panem, even after they win the Hunger Games.

"He has other things to attend to," Robin answers. "Like this meeting that you should be in already." His smirk gives him a charming sparkle in his eyes and Merida has to look away before he can catch the redness in her cheeks.

"Pitch doesn't like tardiness," the pale faced woman nods. "We best be on our way, don't you think?"

Merida fights against every defiant bone in her body to feign ignorance in order to make her lateness seem accidental. She wrinkles her nose and sucks in shallow breath.

"I got lost." She lies. The woman narrows her already-squinted eyes as if to analyze the redhead.

"That's alright," Robin chimes in with a smile. He steps forward and throws Merida a wink. "I'll lead the way."

Merida's "trust no one" instinct kicks in as they walk; a habit that has always been hard to break since the Games. These people were tributes, nay, victors. And not only are they intimidating, but the two of them seem to work closely with Pitch, "running errands". She keeps her eyes on Robin and her ears listen as the woman walks behind her.

"So District 10, huh?" The orange haired boy speaks up, breaking Merida's concentration. "I remember 10. Not a very busy place. All fields and cows and goats..."

"And horses," the woman chimes in. Merida nods without giving a verbal response.

"I'm from 9," Robin says, bringing the conversation back around to him. "Mulan is from 2." Merida glances over her shoulder at the woman. She nods and chuckles under her breath.

"I don't think she cares, Robin."

This is partially true, but by the time Merida thinks to speak up and agree, the long, skinny hallway opens up into a larger than life dining hall. Her jaw drops just a tad before she can regain her composure.

There is a large, what appears to be crystal, table in the center of the room, with regal, white chairs around it. There are people seated in the chairs and they nibble on some sort of finger foods, chatting quietly amongst themselves. Merida hears Pitch's eerie, yet surprisingly calm voice before she can see him.

"Ah, Miss Dunbrock. So you've finally decided to join us." Merida's lip almost curls in disgust until she remembers her new tattoo and instead, she smiles politely at him.

"I'm so, very sorry," she says her best, Capitol-bred voice. "I got a little caught up in other engagements."

"Other engagements?" He says it, almost as mockery, but in the moments following, his entire demeanor shifts. Merida cracks a smile.

_He sees my bandage._

As if to confirm her thoughts, President Pitch rises from his chair at the end of the long table and moves toward her. He reaches out his skinny, pale hands to stroke the bandage.

"My, Miss Merida," he says in naught but a whisper. "What have you done to you're arm?" Merida pulls away and slides her limb behind her back. She had originally planned to reveal the tattoo immediately and cause a stir at the start of the meeting, but watching him squirm with curiosity...that was more than satisfactory.

"Oh, it's nothing," she says, sliding past him, following Robin and Mulan as they take their seats at the large table. "Is there anywhere specific where I should sit?" She is quick to change the subject and can almost feel the tightness in the air.

"The seats are set up by district." Mulan says as she takes her seat between a slim, pale girl with short black hair and bright red lips, and a short, stout, old man with wild, white hair.

"That means you get to sit beside me, Curly!" Robin pats the seat of the chair beside him and Merida is forced to swallow her distrust in him.

_At least for the next hour._

She sits beside him, and looks around. On her other side, a tall woman with bronze colored skin and slick, black hair, sits perfectly strait, her eyes fixed on the glass-like table.

Merida sits across from a girl with red hair, much like her own, but it seems more tame. It falls well past her shoulders, like a crimson waterfall. There is a smile in her sea-blue eyes, although her lips remain in a thin line. Their eyes meet for a moment before Pitch speaks up, drawing the girl's attention to the end of the table. Merida reluctantly does the same.

"Right then," the president slides his hands behind his back. "You all know why you've been called here today, so I won't spend too much time discussing your role in the upcoming games." His eyes shift to Merida's forearm several times as he speaks, but they only linger for a second before he continues. "As mentors, the twelve of you are tasked to oversee your tributes and make sure that they keep their heads about them during their training. We don't want to have anymore incidents." His gaze shifts to a dark skinned woman, sitting with her hands folded neatly in her lap. She looks down, ashamedly, without a word.

"That's Tiana. District 6."

Merida jumps, startled by the sudden rush of whispers in her ear. Robin leans over slightly and continues.

"Last year, her male tribute jumped off a roof before the games, so they had to pick a new one."

Merida wonders why he is telling her all this. She just assumes that he's only trying to help but slinks a few inches away from him, just for good measure.

"It takes great patience and strength to Mentor a tribute." Pitch picks up his speech and nods his head. "All but one of them will die. You're main job is to see to it that the families maintain subdued when this happens." Merida yawns.

At this point, her eyes have started wandering around the room. She notices that the redhead across from her is suppressing a fit of giggles and raises an eyebrow. That's when she notices the old, stout, grey haired man, seated beside her, mouthing all of Pitch's words, verbatim. It _is_ fairly amusing and Merida has to wonder how many years this man has been a mentor to have heard the same speech enough times to have it memorized.

She is fascinated at how easily he hides his goofy facial expressions and hand gestures from Pitch as he continues his silent monologue for the crimson haired beauty.

This spectacle goes on for quite some time, until finally, the redhead cracks and a spit of laughter erupts from her perfectly famed lips. She is quick to cover her mouth, as though it were just a burp, but by that time, the damage is already done.

"Is something funny to you, Ariel?" Pitch's tone is sharp and poisonous as his fierce, red eyes rip apart the girl called Ariel.

"N-no sir." She is shaking, but it doesn't seem to be in fear. Merida thinks she even sees the girl smile a bit, as though her shakes are a pitiful attempt to suppress further laughter. Pitch narrows his eyes and lets out a sigh.

"I expect more from you, Little Fish, being a senior mentor and all."

Ariel flinches as he addresses her with a nickname. Her skin erupts in goosebumps, visible even from where Merida sits. The tall, dark president, is content with her reaction.

_Little Fish? _Merida wonders, eyeing the girl's submissive posture_. I_ _wonder what she did to have been given that title._

"As I was just about to say," Pitch continues, "this year, we are pleased to welcome 2

two new mentors among us." Merida almost doesn't believe what she's heard.

_Two?_ She looks around at the group of victors. _But there was only one new winner, and that was me._

"Merida, Snow, please rise."

She stands, still confused, until she spots the woman sitting in the spot meant for District 1's mentor. Her skin is pale, almost completely white, like a doll. Her hair is a darker shade, even than Pitch's.

"Merida, being our latest victor, will be mentoring the tributes of District 10." The president doesn't look Merida in the eyes as he addresses her, but rather at her forearm again. A small applause fills the room, led mostly by Robin, and a tall, blonde woman a few seats down. "Snow is taking the role as District 1's mentor, in the place of the former one, North, due to his..." Pitch lets out a small sigh, "unexplainable absence."

_Jack's mentor is missing?_

Merida isn't given much time to ruminate on the thought, as she takes her seat again. She figures that she'll just ask Robin about it later. He seemed to have knowledge of nearly everything about Panem.

_But I guess that's what it means to be a Capitol bred victor._

"I sincerely hope that all of you mentor your tributes better than last years group," Pitch says with another sigh. "They were quite a pitiful bunch."

Merida clenches her fists tightly, fighting every urge to stand and slam her knuckles into the crystal table. Her muscles twitch in rage as a smile spreads across the president's lips.

"Are you alright... _Mer_?"

She can hardly stand it any longer. Her face must be as red as her hair, or at least, that how it feels as the heat pulses under her skin.

_I know what'll wipe that smug look off of his stupid little face._

"I'm fine," Merida says, after taking a moment to collect herself. "My arm is just bothering me." She reaches for the bandage and looks at Pitch with steaming hatred. "Do you mind?" She asks, tugging at the cloth. The man's eyes widen ever so slightly as he watches her peel away the white fabric that folds across her forearm.

"Not...not at all."

It's as if the entire world stands still as Merida rips off her bandage. No one makes a sound until the letters are visible. The first audible reaction comes from the tall, blonde woman that sits beside Robin. She inhales sharply and quickly, followed by silence once again.

"Oh neat!" Robin exclaims, poking at her forearm. "Cool tattoo, Curly!"

"Don't call me that," she mutters, but he clearly doesn't hear her. He's too busy prodding at her skin to take notice of the words on her lips. Merida catches the president's cold, venomous stare. His jaw locks in what looks like lividity. His fingers twitch as he folds his hands in front of his stomach.

"What-" he begins to say, the anger, evident in his tone. He takes a deep breath and tries again. "What..._possessed_ you to..." He seems to search his entire vocabulary for the right word, but nothing suitable appears to come to him. "It's-" Pitch swallows the lump in his throat. "It's quite the statement."

"I'll say!" Robin laughs, looking at Merida with a fire in his dark, cat-like eyes. "I've been wanting a tattoo for years! How'd you get one here for a good price?" He cocks his head to the side, waiting for an answer. Pitch seems to be waiting as well and Merida knows better than to dime out her stylist. Who knows what he would do to her if he found out that she had put the letters on his enemy's arm?

"Erm," she says to fill the silence that follows the orange haired boy's question. "It was just some little shop somewhere in town..." She shrugs and drags her finger along the sleek, black letters. "And it was free." Her lies just keep getting more and more absurd as she continues.

"Free?" Robin's eyebrows seem to raise almost to his hairline. He scoffs in disbelief. "Amazing! You've gotta tell me where you managed that!" Merida scratches her neck and shrugs.

"I don't remember the place..."

Pitch raises an eyebrow in curiosity as well.

"Well surely you must remember the name of the artist?" He prods, moving around the table to get a better look at the "Brave" tattoo. Merida only shrugs again.

"No, I don't think I do."

It's marvelous to see him squirm uncomfortably in disbelief and aggravation. It's almost too pleasant, that Merida seems to forget where she is. All around her, the mentors are unfazed by the great reveal. It is then that she remembers that none of them care. They probably didn't watch her in the games as closely as Pitch had. They don't understand the significance of the ink.

"Is something wrong?" She tilts her head and clasps her hands together atop the table as she addresses the disgruntled president. He simply shakes his head and turns away.

"Not in the slightest." He lies through his teeth and waves a hand in the air, feebly. "This meeting is over. You're all free to go."

This must take the mentors by surprise, for they all look around, confusedly until the stout, old man from District 3 rises, stretching his short arms above his head. He yawns loudly and ruffles his scraggly hair.

"Well then," he says, making for the exit. "Would anyone care to join me for an early dinner down at _Louis_'?" It seems that everyone agrees and they all begin to stand and leave, already over the abrupt ending of their meeting. Merida is simply relieved to be able to go back home. She immediately starts imagining how peaceful her ride back to 10 will be.

"You're invited too, of course."

_Or not._

Merida turns her head and stands face to face with the tall, blonde who had been seated beside Robin during their meeting. She smiles invitingly and tilts her head.

"Oh!" Merida is surprised and fidgets nervously. "Thanks...um..."

"Aurora." The blonde interjects politely. Merida blinks back confusion and nods slowly.

"Right...Aurora." She shakes her head. "I appreciate the offer, but I promised my mother I'd be home to lock the stables for Hiccup's... erm, Mr. Haddock." This is, of course, lie, but the last thing she wants to do is spend more time in the Capitol than necessary. Aurora looks as though she understands and begins to speak, but is cut off almost immediately.

"Oh, pish posh, Miss Merida!" The hairs on the back of her neck begin to rise as she turns, ever so slightly to see Pitch smiling deviously. "I can send a message to your mother and let her know that you'll be staying until tomorrow! I'll have a room prepared for you in our finest hotel within the hour."

His generosity is feigned, clearly. Merida grinds her teeth, tempted to lash back at him with her own sarcastic sincerity, but she holds her tongue. She knows it's what he wants: to make her uncomfortable.

"Believe me, sir, I am well aware of what you're capable of." The president's eyes seem to scream a taunting remark about how much she doesn't quite understand those words just yet, but she ignores them and keeps going. "But I'm afraid, I'd much rather spend the night in my own bed, thanks." She turns back to Aurora and smiles as politely as she can muster. "I hope you understand." The woman nods and folds her hands in front of her, daintily.

"Of course. Family always comes first."

"Yes, yes, how could I be so silly?" Pitch chimes in again, his smooth, toxic words send shivers down Merida's spine. "Now that I think about it, I don't believe I have anything on my agenda tonight. I should go with you! I haven't seen your family in far too long." He smiles and Merida starts to feel her stomach churn. "Tell me, deary, has your mother stopped having nightmares?"

It's as though someone has just slapped her across the face. Every muscle in Merida's body stings at the thought of Pitch coming anywhere near her family. And what did he mean about her mother having nightmares? She had never mentioned such a thing.

She takes a deep breath before allowing herself to speak. It takes a great deal of strength to respond to his passive aggressive threat, without making him think that he's gotten under her skin.

"District 10 really isn't your style, sir." She says in a sweet voice. "The people there are much to honest, and genuine for your taste."

Her jab only makes him chuckle darkly as he runs a boney hand through his hair.

"You know nothing of my taste, child, I assure you. I'm afraid I must /insist/."

There is a moment of dead silence until, Aurora clears her throat, awkwardly.

"I should probably...uh, I should go." She starts to shuffle away, when Merida finally caves under the weight of fear for her family. She closes her eyes and lets out a devastated sigh.

"I'll be down in a minute." She calls after the slim woman. Aurora turns and beams, excitedly, clasping her hands together, much like Toothiana would do.

"Ok! I'll wait up in the lobby." And with that, she's gone. Merida immediately snaps her attention back to the president and allows herself to be outwardly angry, now that they are alone.

"You may have all the rest of them wrapped around your finger, but if you think you can step all over me and my family, then you're-"

"I make the game, Merida. I can't help it if you play right into it." Pitch doesn't look at her but instead, turns and begins to pace, slowly.

"I've already played your game, Pitch, and I won. Or have you already forgotten?"

The laughter that follows her statement takes her by surprise and even frightens her a bit. Pitch turns to face her, once again.

"I haven't forgotten anything." He continues to chuckle as he speaks. "And if you think you've won, then you are sadly mistaken, Miss Dunbrock. The arena was only the first round. These games, have only just begun."

**Author's Notes:**

**DUN DUN DUUNNN! **

**Exciting news! I've got all the mentors plot lines and characters figured out AND I've officially added more OC's to the list of things to come. You may remember my last batch of OC's ((Oceana, Fawn, Cat, Carter, Tenney, and Alodia)) and how they were inspired by my Zutara admins. Well this new batch is inspired by my ROTBTD admins! WOOO! **

**I've got big plans for them, although they won't be around for a couple more chapters! **

**Sorry I update so late! I need more inspiration to write! Ill be posting hopefully, every Friday/Saturday! **


	5. Chapter 5

Vomit threatens to erupt from Merida's lips as a large tray of raw fish heads slips under her nose and over to a tall, tan man with thick brown tendrils of hair that hang in his eyes. He heaves a fork-full onto his plate and digs in. The vomit is persistent, though she is able to force it down. She has never been one for seafood, and apparently, neither is the other redhead in the bunch of mentors, who thumbs her nose up at everything but the salad.

The restaurant that the spunky old man, whom Merida now knows to be called Maurice, had chosen was clearly a crowd favorite in the Capitol. _Louis_' was packed, but somehow, Maurice had managed to get the twelve mentors a large table in a back corner. Merida sits between Aurora and, once again, much to her displeasure, Robin. However, in this setting, he is much more outgoing and strikes up a boisterous conversation with a handsome lad with thick, black hair and sun-kissed skin. They laugh and joke, making fun of the way that Ariel picks at her plate of leaves. The dainty redhead scoffs and tosses a tomato at the tan boy's head. Merida rolls her eyes and pokes at her plate of shrimp, trying not to make a disgusted face, but it doesn't seem to matter.

"Is everything alright?" Aurora dabs her lips with a white cloth and examines Merida's untouched plate.

"I'm not all that into seafood." Merida admits. The blonde chuckles and shakes her head.

"Why didn't you say something?" She looks around the large room, scanning the isles. "You should get what you like and stop trying to be so agreeable."

"Agreeable...late... Same thing." She mutters. She and Aurora had arrived nearly ten minutes after the rest of the crowd had settled in and ordered. Robin had apparently, taken in upon himself to order for them in their absence. Merida had thanked him, but inwardly, she cursed his ignorance.

When she realizes that Aurora is looking for a waiter, she blushes brightly and pulls on the woman's sleeve.

"No, don't. I'm fine with shrimp. Honestly." She doesn't take much convincing, which is greatly appreciated. She's remarkably normal for a victor and it makes Merida all the more curious as to what kind a person she must be. Obviously skilled enough to win, and yet, she seems so sweet.

"If you don't mind my asking," Merida ventures, looking down at her plate as she speaks, "what's the deal with everyone here? I mean...how'd they become mentors?"

"Same way you did, silly." Aurora laughs and pops a bit of scallop onto her tongue. "By winning the Hunger Games." Merida frowns and eyes the girl called Tiana from across the table, who chats idly with Mulan. The two of them laugh like they're long time friends. It makes her shudder.

"No, I mean..." She sighs. "_Why_ did they become mentors? And how can they all be so friendly around each other after watching them slaughter their tributes? I mean, everyone here is a trained, cold blooded, Capitol-bred killer."

"Even me?"

It's a question Merida didn't expect to be asked so she simply shrugs, nervously.

"Well, maybe not you." Her blush creeps down to her neck. "You seem pretty normal."

"No, you were right." Aurora sighs, folding her napkin onto her lap. "None of us are normal." She looks around at the group of mentors and exhales deeply. "But we're all similar in that we don't really want to be." There is a smile in her dazzling eyes that makes Merida want to smile as well, for no particular reason, but she restrains herself. "True, many of us are killers, but then again, so are you. Even Ariel has a hard time looking at you after the way you killed her tribute last year. Mulan still mourns the loss of her's as well. We're normal in that way, I guess, that we still hurt when we lose someone we care about. And we all bleed when we're cut." Their eyes meet for a moment before she continues. "We're all pretty normal, it's just a matter of which part of us you decide to focus on. If you want to look at what we did in the arena, then you might as well expect people do the same for you."

Merida blinks slowly, her brain racked with guilt over her adherent judgement. She looks down at her hands.

"I hadn't thought of that," she mutters.

Almost immediately after the words tumble out of her mouth, a large slab of something chunky and warm hits Merida square in the chest. The silence is thick, as she looks around at the table full of stunned mentors. A muscular man, with wavy, auburn hair stands, a spoon in his right hand, and moves quickly toward her. His face is hardened, yet there is a hint of concern in his eyes

"I'm sorry," he bends down so that they are at eye level and reaches for a napkin, starting to pull soggy pieces of the substance out of the tips of her hair. "I was aiming for Robin. I didn't mean to..."

Merida wants to say that it's alright and that the stain would come out, but her lips stay pursed as the smell wafts up into her nostrils.

_This is...fish._

"Herc, you might want to take a step back!" the boy beside Robin laughs. "She looks greener than Ari's salad!" But the warning comes much too late. Merida can't control herself as she heaves the contents of her stomach onto the muscular man's shirt. A collective gasp from all around the restaurant turns her face from a sickly green to bright red in an instant. People are looking now, as she throws her chair back and jumps up.

"I..." She stutters and brings her hands up to cover her mouth, but she doesn't move. She can't. She just stands there, covered in some kind of fishy slop. She isn't sure how, but at some point in her dazed embarrassment she starts to feel herself being dragged along and pulled into a much quieter room.

"Here," a soothing voice snaps her back into the situation. Aurora hands her a damp cloth and guides her in front of a large sink with a mirror hanging on the wall above it. "Don't worry about it staining, just get the chunks out."

"Please don't say 'chunks'," Merida murmurs, dabbing her dress with the towel. The other mentor only giggles and starts spritzing her tangled, red hair with water from the tap in a sad attempt at washing out the smell of fish. "Who did I throw up on?"

"That was Hercules Holtire, of District 5." Aurora replies with a sigh. "Don't worry about it though, he's too egotistic to care about what you did. He'll still find a way to turn it around and make it all about him, you'll see." She rolls her eyes.

"You don't sound like you're too fond of him." Merida prods, running the cloth under the water and continuing to clean her gown.

"I'm not big on the 'look at me' attitude he likes to carry around all the time." She shrugs, "but that doesn't mean I dislike him. He's just a little cocky, that's all."

Merida nods her understanding. Of course she is well aware of what it's like to be around someone with a big head. She spends a good amount of time with Tooth so she has a pretty clear idea of what the blonde means.

"What about Robin?" Merida asks, hoping that Aurora doesn't ask why. "He seems to know an awful lot about things here in the Capitol." Thankfully, she only shrugs.

"He works pretty closely with Pitch and can be a little bit full of himself, but he's not so bad once you get used to him." A smile creeps onto her thin lips. "He's handsome, huh?" Merida chuckles as she rinses out the towel one last time. She doesn't respond. That is, until she realizes what the woman is insinuating.

"Oh heavens, no! No, no, no! I don't think-" she stammers "I'm not /interested/ in him if that's what you're implying!" And that isn't a lie. Sure, he is rather charming, but ever since her return, Merida has only ever had hopes of being with one boy.

_But he is dead._

Aurora's laughter makes Merida feel a little lighter.

"I was only joking, dear. No need to get so defensive." Merida shakes her head and scoffs, her cheeks returning to their natural color. "Besides, I know you haven't gotten over your feelings for Jack yet..."

That last sentence makes Merida flinch, her fingers locking into fists.

"What?" It comes out in a sharp voice that makes Aurora recoil. The skinny woman draws her hands in front of her lips and shakes her head.

"I am so sorry! That was way out of line!" She drops her hands and nervously wrings them in front of her.

"How did you-" Merida's head is spinning at the mention of the snowy haired boy but she tries to shake the dizziness away. "Who would tell you that I-"

"I saw a lot of you two in the games while I was looking after Rapunzel. I just figured the two of you..." But Aurora's words fizzle out as the face of the girl from her nightmares flashes in her brain. The images of that deep slit in her neck as she bleeds out in Hiccup's arms. Her own arrow flying, all too late, into Alodia's flesh. Hiccup's tears. So many tears. Even the memory of Hiccup weeping into the fragile girl's chest makes her heart freeze. She had been trying so hard to push every memory of them away for a whole year, and now, here in the Capitol, of course they would resurface.

Merida can feel her hands shaking when she becomes self aware, yet again.

"Merida, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"You were Rapunzel's mentor."

The silence that follows is almost soothing after the constant buzz of the big city. After a moment, Aurora speaks up.

"I was." It's a whisper, but there is a world of pain packed into those quiet words. There really isn't anything that Merida can think to say in response and so they stand there silently. It gives her enough time to gather her sanity once more and rip her mind out of the past. After wrestling with the potential awkwardness that would ensue if she rejoined her fellow mentors for dinner, or leaving right then, she comes to the conclusion that she has to go home right away. Screw Pitch and his scare tactics. He doesn't have to know where she is and he has no way of knowing that she's left. Mustering her composure, she takes a deep breath and sighs heavily.

"I think I'm just going to head home," she mutters, figuring that her mother could probably work the stench of fish out of her dress the sooner she gets back to her own district. She doesn't want to be in the Capitol any longer than she has to.

As she's ready to move out through the door, Aurora's small voice catches her attention one last time.

"Thank you," she says, throwing sad eyes in the teenager's direction. Merida turns and tilts her head, curiosity getting the best of her.

"For what?"

"For protecting Rapunzel." She smiles gratefully and Merida feels her stomach drop. She doesn't deserve this thanks. She let Rapunzel die, right in front of her. She had done nothing to save her. It was all her fault that the girl was dead. That all of them were, really. She doesn't give the woman a response, for fear of saying the wrong thing in the face of kindness and gratitude.

She doesn't even look over at the table of mentors, even after hearing a familiarly irritating voice call out to her. But she refuses to acknowledge the orange haired boy with the dark eyes. She keeps her gaze set on the door and once she's out into the open air of the city, she lets out a shiver of discomfort. The air here is nothing like the air back in 10, but it sure is better than the stuffy restaurant.

People of the Capitol recognize her, much to her displeasure, and offer to give her rides and food. They invite her into their homes and to their parties but she doesn't want any of it. She just wants to be alone. Although that's not exactly true. She'd rather be with Esmeralda than be alone. Even Toothiana would be a pleasant relief from the emptiness that she feels.

These thoughts surprise her a bit. All her life, she felt better being by herself. She never expected that the company of her old mentor would be something that she craved. But being alone gave her time to think and with a mind like her's, thinking is dangerous. It wanders back to her nightmarish memories and leaves her feeling vulnerable.

As she walks, Merida feels like crying, although she isn't all too sure why. She isn't particularly sad, and nothing is upsetting her to the point of tears. It takes a lot more to make her cry nowadays so this feeling is bizarre.

_Crying over nothing,_ she sniffles, cursing herself. _I feel like child_.

And startlingly so, Merida almost forgets that she still is. Only 18 and already, she feels like she has lost so much. The fear of endangering her family resurfaces, but she is quick to force it back down.

_Pitch promised. He can't hurt them_.

She tries to make herself believe that as she steps onto the train station platform, looking for her all-too-familiar form of transportation. The door whooshes open and Merida steps in, hoping that Tooth is still on board and ready to go.

To her relief, the rainbow haired woman is sitting alone, staring out the window of the long train. Through the reflection of the glass, their eyes meet and Toothiana turns to face her. Her delicate face looks visibly swollen, like she's been crying.

"Oh, Merida!" The little lady chirps. "I didn't expect you back so soon." Merida shrugs and moves through the cabin, ignoring the woman's tears. She assumes that if she's hiding it, she doesn't want to talk about it.

"Neither did I," she says. Tooth gives her a curious look but says nothing further. "Do you mind if we go back to 10 tonight?" Merida asks.

"Whatever you'd like..." It's a soft response that makes Merida feel kind of bad for interrupting Tooth's quiet time. "I'll go tell the driver and we'll be home before dawn." And she whisks out of their car and up to the conductor

Merida lets out a heavy sigh and flops herself down on one of the plush, red couches by the window. She closes her eyes and tangles a hand through her hair, exasperation tickling every nerve in her body. What a mess she's gotten herself into.

After a minute or so, the train starts to inch along the tracks and Merida's heart palpitates. This is it. She's defying Pitch once again. How many more times does she have left in her before he actually takes action against her? The sound of the cabin door whooshing open makes Merida's eyes flutter open for a brief second, so she can be certain that her new company is welcome. Toothiana shuffles through the room absentmindedly, but suddenly halts and brings a finger to her nose.

"My goodness, what is that terrible smell?" She pinches her nostrils closed and shakes her head, her rainbow tendrils, bouncing from cheek to cheek.

"Vomit." Merida must have gotten used to the stench by now, for it no longer sticks out. Tooth keeps shaking her head

"That's vile!

"That's fish." Merida lifts her head up to face her colorful friend. "Which I've learned to avoid from now until forever." She props herself up with an elbow and watches Tooth as she paces, slowly, around the room. She continues to pucker her lips, to block the smell from entering her nose, but it seems futile. Her face still twists in disgust.

"I had gotten a parchment from Pitch that said you were staying the night," she says, finally. "What made you decide to leave?" Merida's eyes follow the restless woman and she shrugs.

"I never wanted to stay in the first place." She decides to be truthful, rather than disguise what was currently the most pressing dilemma in her life. "Pitch goaded me into it and threatened my family." Tooth's pacing quickens and she twiddles her thumbs. It makes Merida uneasy, but she continues, trying to ignore it. "He wanted me to pretend to be a Capitol citizen for a night and the idea didn't thrill me." Toothiana's pacing gets faster and faster until finally...

"Damn it, Tooth!" Merida snaps. "Would you stand still for one goddamn second!?" Toothiana grinds to an immediate halt and flicks her attention to the wiry redhead on the couch. Her eyes are wild with ferocity that Merida has never known them to hold. Throughout the entirety of their relationship, Toothiana had always been flighty and scared, but this... This was something of a bizarre difference. Merida lightens her harsh tone and frowns. "If you're going to have a meltdown, just get it over with or your head might explode." She doesn't expect the little lady to head her advice and so she is genuinely shocked when she tugs harshly at the hem of her gown and groans.

"You should have listened to him, Merida! You might not like him, but President Pitch is a dangerous man. You think you've figured him out, think you can call his bluffs, but you can't!" Toothiana shakes her head and crosses her arms. "He is more dangerous than you know and you shouldn't be fooling around with his graces, just to prove that you're not afraid of him-

"I'm not!"

"Well, you should be!" Tooth heaves a heavy sigh and shakes her head, eyes falling to the ground in distress. "He's not going to be easy on you, Merida." She shifts her weight onto her hip and looks up again. "It doesn't matter that you've won last years games. This year is just as important and may be more difficult." Merida glances out the window into the inky blackness of the outside evening. She doesn't need to hear this speech again. The "mentors have it just as hard as tributes" speech. She doesn't believe it. Tooth only sighs again and throws her arms up in a feeble surrender. It signals the end of their, mainly one-sided, conversation and the slim sponsor slinks away, into a different train car. As soon as she hears the door slide shut, Merida leaps up and tugs at her hair in aggravation. She's not afraid of Pitch. He's just a man and she has already killed several of those.

Claustrophobia hits her suddenly and she is pulling at the ties on her gown. She just now realizes how uncomfortably restricted her movements are and something inside of her wants to rip it off and run. Or move. Or _something_!

Her nails rake at the fabric, tearing it from her body until it lays in a disheveled pile on the rug. She kicks it and it almost seems to fly, knocking over a lamp and sending it crashing to the floor. Merida doesn't bother to look and see if it's shattered and instead, throws her mostly naked self onto the floor and spreads her limbs out to take up as much space as she can.

The deep, blue rug beneath her body irritates her typically sensitive skin, but she feels less smothered down there and so she ignores the sensation. She lets her hair sprawl around her head and cover bits of her shoulders and forehead as she lays. Rolling her head to the side, she examines her tattoo and takes a satisfying breath, letting the air escape her lips in a slow, steady stream and caress her bicep. The ink already looks like a part of her skin; like it belongs there. She smiles and closes her eyes, letting the world go quiet all around her.

Her head swims with images of the day in the Capitol: things she wishes she could have done differently, things she wishes she could have said. It all makes her feel like a disappointment. She wishes she could have raised more hell than she did.

She must fall asleep somewhere in the timeline of her thoughts, because she feels a gentle prod in her rib cage and her eyes flutter open to see the panicked face of a young train attendant peering down at her. Merida recoils at her touch and realizes in embarrassment that she is only in her underwear and blushes, redder than her hair.

"Miss, I thought you were dead!" The girl lets out a sigh of relief and shakes her head. Merida sits up slowly, her muscles stiff from laying on the floor. "We're arriving in District 10 in about five minutes." The girl has a soft smile and large blue eyes, but her features are unfamiliar and so Merida dismisses her embarrassment, realizing she'll probably never meet again.

"Thanks for waking me up." She says simple and stretches her arms above her head, with a yawn. The train attendant nods curtly and takes a few steps toward the door that Tooth had disappeared through the night before.

"I've taken the liberty of gathering clean clothes for you..." She begins, motioning to the couch by the wall. "I recommend you get dressed before our arrival. That is, unless you prefer being...exposed..." The girl's face flushes in what must be second hand embarrassment.

"Thanks...erm...?"

"Casey." The girl says curtly and whisks out of the room.

"Casey..." Merida repeats, softly. She almost calls out a "nice to meet you" but figures it a waste of her breath, and instead, stands to snatch up her new clothes. They're nothing fancy, which Merida approves of: cargo shorts and blood-red tank top. She slips into them quickly and huffs a sigh of what can only be describe as bliss. Her clothes don't smell like vomit, and through the ventilation system of the train, she can almost taste the fresh air that had been so very distant in the Capitol.

Home never felt more sweet than when she visited the crowded city. Rolling hills and isolated plains... That is more a home than any five-star, Capitol hotel, and it breaks her heart that in just a few short days, she'll be ripped away from it again and thrown back into the fray of the games, and the other mentors, and Maleficent, and Robin, and Aurora...

And Pitch.

**Author's Notes:**

**Yoooo my writing is going so slow! But I have most of the story mapped out already. I just gotta get through the beginning and into the games stuff again and it'll pick up I promise! **

**Some general character thoughts: I just threw Casey in... Just because. She's not that relevant at the moment! She'll be back later**

**Also I've already mentioned this, but more OC's will be oining us again once things kick off! I'm excited for them, once more!**

**Although I admit, I miss Fawn and Oceana and Alodia the rest of the pack! Even part of me missed Pan. But let's be real here:**

**I MISS JACK, HICCUP AND PUNZ! :( Sad, sad thoughts when I remember that they're dead. When I reread WCBH, I wished I'd have given Hiccunzel more "screen time" if you will. Welp... There's a toooooonnnn of ships that'll pop up throughout the fic so be prepared to maybe ship some random Disney characters... Oops!**

**Long rambling, DONE! **

**Next chapter will be up soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

Esmeralda is in the Dunbrock's house for the fifth time that week, "prepping" Merida for tomorrow's Reaping, but in reality, all she's done is eat their food and annoy the living daylights out of the redhead. Merida shuffles through their white-walled living room and runs a rag across the surface of their little coffee table. Her mother takes a sip of her beverage and sighs. The bags under her eyes are a purplish color and Merida is surprised at herself that she hasn't noticed them before Pitch mentioned her having nightmares back at the mentor's meeting. She feels awful for being so ignorant.

"My brother's are safe," Merida says with a shake of her head. "Anyone's name could be called and I wouldn't care."

"Merida!" Her mother snaps, nearly choking on her coffee. "That is no attitude to have in such a situation." She shakes her head and settles her teacup on her lap. "These children are going to be traumatized..."

_Or killed..._

"...please, show some respect for their families, at least!" And of course, Merida know's that it's true. Hearing it come from her own mother, a woman who had lived through the whole ordeal, makes it all the more potent.

"Whatever the case," Esmeralda adds, "don't expect them to be angels. Most of them are hell to work with." Her eyes flick over to Merida, as she tosses her dirtied rag into the laundry basket. She figures that the woman is talking about her and scoffs.

"I wasn't so bad."

"Weren't you?" Es chuckles and crosses her ankles. "Miss, 'I don't need allies! It's my life! Wah wah wa-'" Merida tosses a couch pillow across the room and it slams into the woman's face, making the rapid-fire teasing come to an end. Es only chuckles again and mutters, "See, that's what I'm talking about." But Merida is already walking out of the room, shaking her head, trying her hardest not to crack a grin.

She wanders into the kitchen, where she finds her father sitting at the end of their finely polished, granite table with his eyes fixed on the far window. She scratches her head and clears her throat, snagging his attention suddenly. Fergus blinks at her and then smiles her favorite "daddy" smile; the one where his eyes wrinkle at the corners and his beard ruffles against his shirt as it shakes. She can't help but return it with one of her own. "Merida, my dear," he says in his rumbly voice. Merida moves slowly about the room and stuffs her hands in her pockets.

"I didn't know you were in here," she admits, hoping she hadn't interrupted his quiet time. Her father shakes his head.

"For a minute there, neither did I." He laughs, but Merida's own smile wavers for a second. It was something that he had been doing as of late; blanking out to the point of forgetfulness. She noticed it mainly after her return from the Victory Tour, when he would simply wander around their new home in silence. He claimed it to be nothing, just his mind getting old, but after Pitch said what he had about her mother's nightmares, Merida wonders if he too is plagued with something similar.

"Is..." She starts, "is everything ok?" It feels ambiguous, but she doesn't think there's any better way to elaborate. Her father only shrugs with a deep sigh.

"Everything is...as it is," he says, "and whether or not I'm happy about that fact doesn't change anything." His face wrinkles into a more serious looking smile. "But I am well enough, considering our situation." Merida is puzzled by his response. What did he mean by "our situation"?

That's when guilt hits her like the Capitol issued trains that have dictated the last eleven months of her life. She pulls out the chair beside him and sits, frown lines creasing into her forehead.

"Dad..." She starts, looking down at her hands. "Aren't you glad that I... That I won the games?" She uses the word "won" lightly, putting as little emphasis on it as she physically can. Her father shakes his massive head, almost frantically, and frowns.

"No no! Of course I'm glad that you survived!" His head-shaking ceases and his sunken face twists into one that seems to mirror every emotion Merida feels at that moment. "You're my daughter. Every moment that you were away from me, I was worried out of my mind, hoping that you'd make it home to me." He averts his eyes and heaves a second sigh. "But if it'd been my way, you never would have had to deal with any of this madness in the first place. But you fought. You fought and you won, like I knew you would." Their eyes meet once more, a world of pain swirling in their faces. Merida can't hold his gaze for very long. "But you came home a different person."

She wants to protest. Everything in her did all that she could to make sure that the games didn't change her.

"I'm still the same Merida I was when I left!" She almost yells it, hoping that the louder she is, the more it'll resonate with him, but Fergus only shakes his head.

"No, you're not. And you know you're not." Merida opens her mouth again to spit back a response, but he cuts her off. "You've seen death and felt an entire lifetimes worth of pain, at only 17 years young; just a wee lass! You've lost friends, right before your very eyes. You found a little shred of love in that arena, Merida. The games changed you. You're not the wild, little girl you were the day you were taken from me." Her father looks down at his calloused hands and balls them into tight fists against the table. "You were care-free and young! Just a lass and her horse against the sun sprayed fields of District 10. And you came back a woman. You came back, a warrior."

She must not have been paying much attention to his movements, for before she can react, his hand slides under her chin, lifting her eyes to meet his.

"You became a strong, hardened, brave, young woman." Merida watches his eyes flick to the bolded, black letters on her forearm and linger there for a moment. When he had heard the news of her new ink, he had been so stoic. She never truly new how he felt about it. And now, it all seemed to piece together.

"You're not my little girl anymore, Merida." He smiles at her, though it is the saddest smile she's ever seen. "You're much, much more, and _that_ is a change I wasn't prepared for."

If she could cry, she would, but hardly anything brings tears to her eyes anymore.

"Don't fuss over me growing up," she says. "You'll end up missing out on the boys being young and then the time will come when they'll grow up and you'll be upset about that too." It surprises her that he chuckles, letting his hand fall away from her face and onto the table again.

"I suppose you're right." He says it, almost sounding defeated, like her words had hurt him somehow.

"I usually am," Merida chuckles and stands, kissing the top of her father's head. She begins to leave, but stops before crossing the threshold and sighs. "I love you, dad."

"And I love you." He smiles a weak smile, before looking down at his hands again. Merida frowns when he looks away and exits, hoping to avoid anyone else on her way out of the house.

Although she rarely gets what she wants.

"Where are you going?" A chorus of voices call simultaneously as she is nearly out the door. She curses to herself and spins around to face her brothers, who have grown nearly six inches in the last year, and stand almost to her chin. Merida shrugs and tosses her hair over her shoulder.

"Dunno," she admits. "No where in particular, I guess."

"Can we come?" Hubert asks, but Hamish jams his elbow into his rib cage as if to say "take it back". "Er...unless you're too busy..."

It aggravates her to see them so careful around her, like they'd break her if they pushed too hard. She shakes her head.

"I'm not busy," she assures them. "You're all welcome to come with me. I'll probably just end up at the stables like I always do." She gives them her most Capitol created smile, in hopes that it'll win then over, but the three boys only shrug.

"Oh." Harris says.

"Have fun then." Hamish adds in not but a mumble. Hubert sighs and looks down at his feet without a word. Merida's lip curls in frustration.

"Alright, enough of this!" She growls. "What is your problem, all of you!?" They all look up at her, but Hamish is the only one who speaks.

"Nothing," he lies. She can feel his lie in the way his eyes don't stay fixed on her.

"Then why are you avoiding me? Why are you treating me like I'm a leper?" She fumes. "I'm your sister and you acting like you can't be bothered with me!" The words hurt them, she can see it in their faces, but this time, no one speaks up, which just makes her even more angry. "Ugh! Fine! Be like that!" She hisses and turns to rip the door open, slamming it behind her. She is only halfway across Victor's Village when she hears the door open again.

"Merida, wait!"

She can't tell which brother it is, but she doesn't have time to deal with any of them anymore. If they wanted to ignore her, then they'd be ignored right back. She keeps on walking.

"Merida, come on! We're sorry! /I'm/ sorry!" That one is Hubert. She isn't positive but she has a feeling based on the way he seemed to want to break his brothers' wall of caution when he spoke out.

"Yeah well, I'm sorry too!" She shouts, the sun hitting the top of her head.

"What is with all the screaming?" Her mother's voice joins the mix and Merida rolls her eyes.

"Merida's being difficult!" One of her brothers shouts. She clenches her fists together tightly and grinds her teeth. She hears a shuffling behind her and the door closes again.

"Merida, please don't slam the door when your angry." Her mother's voice is calm, and so finally, Merida turns around to see that her brothers are no where in sight and she is alone, outside, with her mom. Eleanor stands a few feet away, her hands folded in front of her. "Now tell me what's wrong." Merida closes her eyes and runs her hands through the mane atop her head.

"Why do they hate me?" She huffs.

"They don't hate you-"

"Then why do they act like it? Why do _you_ act like it?"

"Merida!" Her mother gasps and takes a step toward her. "Where is this coming from all of a sudden?" Merida's head pounds with a mix of emotions: sadness, anger, hurt.

"Don't act like you haven't been avoiding me," she snaps. "I'm not sick! I'm not broken! Stop treating me like I need to be fixed! Like I can't handle real life anymore!" Eleanor shakes her head and sighs, reaching her hand out to rest it on her daughter's shoulder, but Merida rolls it away.

"Your brothers are at a lose as to how they should act around you." Her voice is soft, like the warm breeze that tugs at her greying hair. "It's hard, watching someone you love go through hell and swear that they didn't get hurt along the way. They are young. They don't know how to help you deal with your loss."

"I don't want their help!" She says it almost like a whine, but she doesn't care. For once in her life, she's allowed to act like a child. "I just want them to be my annoying little brothers again." She looks down at her feet and frowns.

"They didn't expect you to come back." This makes Merida nearly flinch. She whips her head up and narrows her eyes.

"What?"

"They cried through the first three days you were gone, and again, when you were in the arena." Her mother's face falls, as if the memory brought something more than sadness back. She shakes her head. "They lamented the loss of a sister who came home. It was hard for them. They saw how much you went through and they have been so afraid of hurting you further." Merida is shocked. She can only keep shaking her head as her mother goes on. "They wanna be there for you but they don't know how to, and so they just keep their distance."

It all makes so much sense, and yet, it's still hard to hear.

"And what about you?" Merida asks, looking into her mother's eyes. "You said they're young. They don't understand, but you..." She furrows her eyebrows. "You're my mom! Why have you been so distant?"

"I don't know what you mean." El looks away from her gaze.

"Don't lie to me," Merida frowns. "I'm not an idiot. I can feel it."

"I'm fine, Merida, honest-"

"I know about your nightmares." As if to confirm her belief, Eleanor's eyes widen with panic and she shakes her head. "Is that what it is? Is that why you look at me differently?"

"How- who told you that I-"

"I figured it out on my own." Merida lies easily. No point in telling her that Pitch told her. It would just give her an excuse to ask questions that she doesn't have the answers to. "What are they about?" Her mother takes a step back and holds up her hands, as if putting up a wall between the two of them.

"I don't wanna talk about this with you."

"Well, I do!" Merida feels a tinge of heat rising in her bones. "As your daughter, who fought for her life to come home to you, you owe me so little as to /talk/ to me!"

She never pulls the "winner of the Hunger Games" card. Not seriously, anyway. El keeps shaking her head.

"I don't want you to feel like...like..." She folds her arms across her chest, but must decide that it is uncomfortable and places them awkwardly on her hips.

"Like what?" It's like a game of tug-of-war with her mother. She keeps pulling away.

"Like they're you're fault!" There is a moment of dead air between them; mother and daughter both at a loss for words until...

"They're about me." It isn't a question. Merida already knows the answer. Of course they're about her! "Why wouldn't you just tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry...I- they're not- they're not pleasant to talk about." Her mother looks so fragile, standing before her, the wind hugging her tiny body, revealing just how skinny she is.

"Mum..." Merida closes the gap between them with a long stride and puts a hand on Eleanor's shoulder. The woman lets out a sharp breath and collapses into her embrace, snaking her arms around Merida's neck.

"You die," she weeps. "Every single night of my life, you're back in that horrid arena and you die. It's like you're still there and every morning-" she sniffles, her voice catching in her throat. "Every morning I wake up and I go through that pain of losing you all over again and it's just..." Her voice trails off and cuts to tears. Merida had no idea how bad her mother's night terrors were. She closes her eyes and strokes the top of the broken woman's head.

"They're not real, Mum," she coos softly into her mother's hair. "I came home. I'm safe now. They're not real..."

There was no point in telling her mother about her own nightmares. Her entire entourage of reassuring words would have seemed a farce, had she been truthful. Eleanor had cried for a while; longer than Merida had expected, and once her eyes ran dry, the two of them had walked home, only for Merida to head out for the stables once more. She had hoped to try and talk to her brothers again, but by the time she and her mother had returned, the three of them had gone out into the fields to chase the goats and get some milk to have with dinner.

Now, trudging though dirt roads of District 10, Merida can finally have some time alone to gather her thoughts and get her brain sorted. She is overjoyed to finally be able to have some time with Angus and Toothless again!

The stables are quiet when Merida arrives. She assumes that Stoic must be elsewhere and is surprisingly, relieved. As much as she has grown to love the man like a second father, the last thing she wants is someone to dissect her emotions. All she wants is to be alone in her mind and dashing through the open fields.

A welcoming snort from Angus' stall makes Merida's heart leap with excitement.

"Ey, handsome boy." She smiles, reaching her arm through the window of the stall and sliding her hand down the black beauty's long face. He stamps his feet and flicks his tail against the wall. "Alright, alright, hold your hooves," she smirks and begins to unchain the heavy door.

"Hold your hooves?"

The snarky remark from an unfamiliar voice makes Merida's skin jump and she spins around. The muscular, young, blonde lad has a saddle draped over his shoulder and a scrubbing brush in his hand. He wears a smirk that makes his baby face look a little less innocent. Merida blinks in confusion and opens her mouth to give a retort

"I... I thought I was alone." She mutters, her cheeks turning a tinge of pink.

"No one's ever alone in Panem." He narrows his eyes, his smirk falling away into a more serious expression. "You of all people should know that, being the Capitol's showgirl, and all." Her jaw locks, embarrassment turning quickly to annoyance.

"Is that what people are calling me nowadays?"

"It's what my little sister calls you. It's kind of just stuck with me at this point." That's when Merida recognizes his broad shoulders and shaggy blonde hair.

_A Hofferston._

"You're Kristoff, aren't you?" She says through gritted teeth. "The blacksmith over in the markets?"

"The one and only," Kristoff scoffs. Merida nods slowly, becoming more composed as they speak.

"I met your little sister the other day," she says, turning away from him.

"_Half_ sister," he chuckles, "And I bet you just loved her, huh? Astrid's quite..."

"Abrasive?"

Kristoff snorts in laughter but nods, his hair falling into his eyes.

"That's one way to put it." Merida begins to tug at the chains holding an impatient Angus in his stall. The boy doesn't say much else and so she continues to focus her attention on her horse. He looks pleased that she is there and that always lifts her spirits. Someone is excited to see her. It's kind of a big deal nowadays.

"So you have a horse here or...?" Merida looks over at Kristoff as she is opening Angus' stall. She isn't usually one for small talk, but he seems like a nice enough person. Besides, it'd be good practice for when she's stuck trying to be hospitable to the other mentors in the upcoming weeks.

_And probably the rest of her life_.

"Yeah. His name is Sven. He was a present from my mom." He scrunched his face a bit and shakes his head. "My biological mom."

"Brynja?" She feels weird knowing so much about his family already, but being the mayor of a small district didn't exactly come with a privacy policy.

"Yeah..."

"Did you know her?" She leads Angus out of his stall and onto the runway as he shakes his mane, excitedly. Kristoff shrugs.

"Not really. She died when I was nearly three, so I know her face, but I can't for the life of me, hear her voice, or remember her smell." He shakes his head little. "I kept it with me for a while after she died, but once my dad remarried, when I try to imagine my mother, all I see is Ingrid."

"I'm sorry." It's not a very genuine apology. She doesn't feel as though she's done anything wrong besides maybe bring it up but still, he got her sympathy.

"I'm not." The blonde boy shakes his head. "I love my step-mom. She's really great. And Aislin is a pretty cool older sister." He smirks and looks up at Merida. "I guess that's the thing about death: you can't hold on to a ghost for very long. Whether you like it or not, sooner or later, they start to slip away. Piece by piece, and then, all at once." The words carry a certain sadness on them as they slam into Merida's heart. They pack a punch of truth, but she shakes them away, like she would a house fly. Angus whinnies and bobs his head impatiently. "Maybe you should take care of..."

"Angus," she finishes his sentence and nods. She doesn't bother cleaning off the saddle before slinging it onto the stallion's back and fastening it around his abdomen. Throwing her feet up, she positions herself on her horses back. "It was nice talking to you." She mutters, all traces of her gung-ho, small talk attitude, washed away. Angus' hooves pound against the cement as he races down the runway and out into the field. On the way, she notices Toothless, asleep in his stall and she smiles to herself. She was starting to love that horse almost as much as she loved Hiccup. They were really bonding.

The wind in her hair makes Merida feel like she can fly. The fleeting feeling of flight was a side effect of owning a horse as tall and as fast as hers.

They ride for what feels like all too brief, but the sun starts to set as they near the farthest pasture in the district. When it comes into view, Merida's heart sinks nearly into her stomach. The beautiful field where she likes to rides has been transformed into a stage. A large screen hangs from the top and mountains of speakers line the clearing. It looks almost peaceful now, but she knows that come tomorrow morning, the field will be brimming with teens, waiting to be Reaped or relieved, and Merida will have to get to know two faces that she'll eventually forget. Like a ghost. Piece by piece, then, all at once.

**Author's Notes:**

**As the story progresses, the chapters will get longer and longer so these short ones are nice breaks from that. **

**There wasn't a lot to cover in this chapter except a little bit of family background and explanations. It's all kind of filler. If I'm gonna be super honest, a LOT of this fic is filler until maybe chapter 10 ish. BUT IT'S ALL RELEVANT FILLER! I promise! All of those information and stupid little stuff is all important! **

**Next chapter will be up by Friday! I need to start setting deadlines so I get them done! **


	7. Chapter 7

Shuffling into the kitchen with a long, drawn out yawn, Merida rubs her eye and mumbles a good morning to her mother, who sits at the table, sipping a cup of coffee. It's nice and quiet: they boys are still in bed and the sun has barely risen over the grassy hills.

"How'd you sleep, dear." Her mother asks in a hushed voice. Merida shrugs and mutters something inaudible. Eleanor just chuckles and goes back to her coffee.

"You're looking awfully chipper this morning." The snarky voice comes from somewhere behind her and Merida turns to see Esmeralda, leaning against the far wall, by the refrigerator. She wears a cocked grin and strings of bells in her hair like she usually did on occasions like today. Merida snorts, grumpily and shoots her a tired glare. "Are you always this enthusiastic at 6am?" Es chuckles.

"I'm not a morning person.

"Well you're not a night person either so then when are you in a good mood?" Merida is about to snap something else at the raven haired woman when she hears a rumbling on the steps as three pairs of feet come racing down them. The triplets come rushing into the kitchen, Hamish in the lead shouting "I win!" Merida rolls her eyes.

_Well it was quiet..._

"Boys, keep it down," their mother chastises, without looking up at them. "You'll wake your father."

"Sorry Mum," they all say at the same time, before tearing through the room and out into the yard. Merida gives a tired smile as they go. Even though she's still not happy with them, she can't help but feel a wave of relief, noticing the shift in their moods from last year to now.

Exactly a year before, the house was solemn and no one had gotten a wink of sleep. Merida was focused on making sure her brothers were safe and the thought of being in the games hadn't even crossed her mind. They were dressed in those silly reaping outfits, but today was so drastically different that Merida could hardly believe how much had changed in just 365 days.

"So...?" It's Esmeralda's voice that snaps her back into the present day. A question must have been asked but Merida had missed it. She shakes her head, the fogginess of the morning beginning to fade.

"Sorry, did you say something?" Esmeralda rolls her eyes and makes a "tsk" noise, as if she's already irritated with the wiry haired lass.

"Are you gonna be this attentive for your tributes, Merida?" Es scoffs, sarcasm oozing from her lips. Merida only gives an eye roll of her own and crosses her arms before the woman continues. "I asked if you had packed already. You're going to be spending at least a week in the Capitol. You're going to need more than your smelly shirts and your horse boots."

"My shirts don't smell!" Merida raises her voice, at which her mother shoots her a look that begs for silence. Esmeralda laughs lightly and pushes herself away from the wall and strides, slowly around the table. "My shirts don't smell..." She repeats in a softer voice.

"Whatever you say..." Es shrugs and begins to walk away. Merida curses her and her knowledge of the things that make her tick; walking away from something nonchalantly was one of those things. She rubs her temples with her index fingers and stomps after the tall, tan woman. She doesn't know what to say to to her at first but as she follows her former mentor into their living room, she feels a slight twinge of helplessness spark in her chest.

"Help me." It sounds pitiful, the way she slumps her shoulders, hair still a mess from her slumber, but it's genuine and that's gotta count for something. Esmeralda turns around, eyebrows raised slightly, running her hand across the back of her neck.

"Merida, you know I can't come with you. Pitch explicitly said that I have to stay behind while you-"

"No," Merida interrupts, shaking her head. "Help me pack." In that moment, she feels like a little girl, asking for some advice about something stupid, but she means it. She truly just wants someone there in the room with her while she tosses her belongings into a suitcase, even if the only thing Esmeralda does is watch. Her company would be better than solitude, alone in her stupid, white-walled, Capitol made room.

Es blinks and shakes her hair in slight confusion at the request, but slowly starts to nod.

"Oh," she says. "Yeah..." The woman seems puzzled still, but shrugs and starts to move toward the steps that lead to the second floor. "I can help you pack." Merida heaves a sigh of relief, following her up the stairs.

They're quiet for most of the process. Es occasionally tosses out a "no, don't bring that. No one will take you seriously in that color" and things of the like. Merida is content with the silent packing. She tosses some jeans and even a dress or two into a large, black suitcase. Es scoffs as some of her clothing choices, but keeps her mouth shut, until Merida throws a pair of muddied riding pants into the suitcase.

"You're going to the Capitol," she says, snatching up the pants. "You're not going to be riding any horses there. You don't need these."

"But I like them," Merida protests. "They're comfortable!" Esmeralda just shakes her head and tosses the pants away from her without another word. It's odd, but Merida really enjoys this bizarre time that they have alone together. A thought pops into her head that makes her almost want to laugh. She looks over at Es and smiles meekly.

"I've never had a sister," she ventures. "This must be what it's like." Es doesn't look up at her but her face softens. "You know, bickering over clothes and stuff..." Her former mentor is quiet, a contemplative look on her face for a moment before she speaks.

"I've never had one either," she chuckles. "So your guess is as good as mine." She falls quiet again until she can gather the right words to say. "But I like it." They both turn to look at the other and linger in their gaze for a moment before Esmeralda lets out a sigh through her nose and turns her attention back to packing. "You honestly think Maleficent is going to let you wear that?"

"Pitch has requested that you stand on stage during the reaping." Toothiana brushes away the wrinkle's in Merida's dress as the two of them stand in front of her bedroom mirror. Maleficent had made it specifically for her: a beige, high-low dress with sequins around the top. And to be perfectly honest, Merida doesn't hate it.

It is the first time since the train fiasco that the two of them have spoken. Merida had decided that morning, that it was just Tooth needing to blow off some steam and not to bring it up again.

"I thought that the mentors waited on the train," She raises her voice in aggravation. Pitch just kept on bending the rules to make her as uncomfortable as possible. Toothiana shrugs.

"Don't get angry with me. I'm just telling you what I was told."

"Do you always do what Pitch tells you?" She can see Tooth's face twist in disgust but the little woman is silent. Merida can't help but wonder if she would have given the same response this time last year. Had Hiccup's death really changed her that much?

"You princesses almost done in there?" Esmeralda's voice barks from outside the door. "It's time to get going." Merida rolls her eyes and strides over to door. Ripping it open, she is faced, nearly an inch away, with smirking Esmeralda.

"First of all," Merida narrows her eyes, "don't call me princess."

"I don't mind being called 'princess'!"

Irritated, Merida turns to stifle the chipper Toothiana and her quips. Esmeralda scoffs and quirks an eyebrow, mockingly.

"What's second of all?" She challenges.

"Second of all," Merida growls, "I'm not gonna to be able to wait on the train." The quizzical look from the bronze beauty is enough of a question for Merida to realize that she must not have gotten the news. "Pitch wants me to watch the Reaping from the stage."

"What?" Es widens her eyes. "That's stupid! Exactly what is he trying to pull?" Merida just shakes her head.

"I was hoping you would know."

They are silent for a moment as they think, but the silence is broken by an exasperated Tooth letting out a sigh.

"We don't have time for this. We already know that Pitch is an asshole. Merida, to the stage. Let's go." Merida is surprised to eat how the woman speaks out so harshly against their president but nods in agreement.

"What's got you all wound up?" Esmeralda scoffs, sliding to the side for them to pass. Tooth only shakes her head, mumbling something inaudible. "Did you real her while you were in the Capitol or something?" She asks, as the rainbow haired woman rushes down the steps and out toward the front door. Merida scowls.

"I actually think I might have."

She decides to leave out the part where she had found her crying on the train and they had fought. She doesn't want to make Esmeralda feel like a babysitter.

"Well, so long as you can fix her..."

Merida doesn't remember the walk up to the stage. She only remembers feeling everyone stating at her as her beige dress sweeps again the back of her legs. That, and the whispers, although part of her thinks that they must only be in her head, for when she looks around, everyone is quiet.

_It was only a matter of time before I went crazy_.

The stage is eerily familiar, as though she had just been up there the day before. Walking up the front steps makes her heart race. She half expects to see Hiccup climb up after her, and when he doesn't, she looks down at her hands, slightly disappointed.

Sometimes, every aspect of the games felt like just one big nightmare; like she would wake up at any second and get to do it all over again. Part of her wishes she could. Had she known the length that she would come to care for her fellow tributes, she would have spent more time with them and protected them better than she had. She would have tried to find a way to keep them alive: Jack, Hiccup, Rapunzel, Elsa. Even Jane! Somehow, she feels responsible for her too, even though she'd never said a single word to the girl.

Aurora's words of gratitude ring in her ears as she looks out over the crowd of gathering children. She watches as the Peacekeepers separate the boys and the girls, a pair of twins being pulled apart as they do so. The girl looks like she could knock out the man who grabs her arm and yanks he toward her side of the field, but she doesn't raise her fists, just her voice. She yells some very unkind things, and is pushed away, into the crowd of girls. Merida likes her spirit, and as wrong as it feels, she wishes that she would be called as tribute.

But then she thinks about the other twin; the brother. How, if he were anything like herself, he would volunteer to protect her, and then, the two of them would be stuck in the worst situation she can imagine a pair of siblings being in: dying together, or losing your other half.

A line of about 6 Peacekeepers stand on the stage behind her. They hold their signature electricity rods and Merida shudders. What could they possibly need those for? No one in 10 would be stupid enough to start a fight with them. At least not after what they did to Merida's parents the year before. As she fidgets with her dress, they all stand perfectly, like statues. Their stillness makes her feel all the more restless, and she is almost relieved when she sees Toothiana step up to the front if the stage and lean into the microphone.

"Hello all and welcome to the 73rd annual Hunger Games." Her voice carries through the field like a thick fog, creeping across the grass. "It is an honor to be standing here before you all in the beautiful, District 10. Merida's heart jumps in he chest. She can remember how, only 365 days prior, the little woman had little to no interest in the rolling hills of District 10, and now, she hardly ever left them.

_Of course she'd be honored. This is her home now._

"Before we begin, we are going to have to watch a video that Pit- erm, President Pitch, out together for you all." Merida can see her former sponsor cringe as she speaks the word "president" and even some of the crowd seems to notice, for they crack a smile.

The Panem national anthem blares, as the screen on the top of the stage lights up with their annual Hunger Games video. It talked about the same old things: The rebellion in District 13, the destruction of the rebels, the start if the games. It's all over after only a few short minutes, and Tooth is back at the mic stand, once again.

"Right then..." She mutters. "I guess this is the moment we've all been so..." she closes her eyes ad inhales sharply, "...eagerly awaiting." The mood in the crowd shifts, as though the hairs on the back of everyone's neck are beginning to rise. "Ladies first." Tooth gives a short sigh as she moves over to the large glass bowl in the front of the stage. The little slips of paper rustle against each other as she swirls her hand around. There is a palpable silence all through the citizens of 10, when Toothiana pulls a slip out of the bowl and holds it high above her head. Somewhere in the field, a mother stifles a wail.

"Our female tribute..." Tooth trills, "Eilonwy Flower." Merida scans the crowd for the face that belongs to the name. A boy in the audience calls out to the mystery child, but she doesn't give a reply. There is only maybe three seconds that pass when suddenly...

"I volunteer."

The entire field seems to take in a sharp gasp as a short, muscular blonde comes tromping up to the stage. Merida can hardly process it all. Her head spins, a mix of anger and annoyance swirling around in her brain. There is an audible cry from somewhere in the back of the crowd that makes her blood churn.

"I- well...this is unexpected." Tooth sputters into the microphone. The girl takes the steps two at a time and strides across the stage, a fire in her dark eyes. "Tell us your name, deary." Merida goes to reach for her sleeve, demand she take back her volunteering, but she is too slow, and the blonde is already in front of the microphone.

"My name is Astrid Hofferston," she says, before taking a step back and standing beside Merida. She stares ahead, not bothering to pass her new mentor even a glance, but that doesn't stop Merida from engaging.

"What the hell are you doing?" She hisses, under her breath, but Astrid doesn't look at her, or even acknowledge that she's spoken.

"Yes...well...how brave you are, to volunteer so quickly." Tooth's disappointed tone gives her compliment no meaning. Merida wants to say something to the brash, young lady, but by the time she can think of what to say, Toothiana is already pulling a name from the boy's bowl.

"Flynn Rider!"

Merida doesn't recognize the name, and certainly, she doesn't recognize his face, as he makes his way to the front stage. He doesn't look visibly shaken, or even surprised at all. He does, however, look older than the rest of the boys; a sprout of facial hair adorning his chin. Truthfully, he's not bad looking, and Merida catches herself staring, when their eyes meet. She quickly shakes her gaze away and focuses her attention on the end of the Reaping ceremony.

"Let's give a hardy 'good luck' to this year's tributes of District 10: Astrid Hofferston and Flynn Rider!"

No one claps; not even Tooth. It's eerily silent as the Peacekeepers start to disperse the crowd. The boy called Flynn turns to look at Astrid as he is led off the back of the stage. He looks at her for a long time, as if she confuses him.

"We're just about ready on the train if you want to head to the station." Merida flinches as her colorful friend leans in and whispers in her ear. But she doesn't want to go just yet. She shakes her head and, without words, follows her new tributes down the same, narrow hallway that she remembers from the year before. Flynn is too far ahead for Merida to reach him, but the one she really wants to talk to is just a few inches in front of her. She reaches out and snags the girl's sleeve.

"Get off of me-"

"Not until you explain to me what you think you're doing!?" Merida snaps in a hushed voice, so not to alarm the guards. "What do you think this is, some kind of...pony show!? Something where you can prove that you're not a little girl? That you're not just the Mayor's daughter? Is that what this is!?"

"That's none of your business." Astrid bites back, but Merida doesn't back down.

"You don't have to prove anything. Not like this!" The blonde yanks her sleeve out of Merida's grasp. "You're making a mistake!" Her words seem to slam Astrid's breaks as she turns heel and glares at her new mentor.

"I know exactly what I'm doing," she growls. "And unlike you, I actually want to be here! I don't care about the other tributes! I'm in this for me, and only me. But I wouldn't expect you to understand anything about that." Merida want to slap her, right across her freckled cheeks, but something keeps her arms liked at her side. "My business is my own! I want to win this thing, so don't be surprised when I decide not to come to you for survival tips. I don't need those from someone who'd rather be dead!"

Her legs must have stopped working, for she watches Astrid stomp away, down the corridor and into her private "goodbye" room, but can't seem to be able to follow her. Her frustration bubbles up inside her, until finally, she snaps and slams her fist into the wall of the long hallway.

Luckily, it's made of some cheep wood and so it splinters around her hand, leaving a fist-sized hole.

"Hey!" A deep, scraggly voice bellows from somewhere down the hall. "You're supposed to be waiting on the train, like the rest of the mentors!" There are two guards there now, each armed with their stupid electro-rods. Merida can't help but roll her eyes.

"Haven't you heard," she mutters, "I'm not like the rest of the mentors." She is glad that they don't hear her, and she shoved past them. "Yeah, yeah, I know," she offers them a boring remark over her snarky one. "I was just...reminiscing."

The guards don't seem to care. They don't follow her or bother her anymore after she is back on the field, which is now, almost empty. Merida decides to just head straight for the train and say her goodbyes to her family on the platform. It would make it easier on the tributes to leave as soon as possible.

Merida keeps her head down as she walks past the Hofferston family, on their way to wish Astrid farewell. She doesn't want to see the tears in the mother's eyes, or the redness of her father's face as he fight back his own. She only catches a glimpse of the oldest Hofferston, Aislin, with her arm around young Alaric's shoulders, as she struggles to maintain her composure.

"I don't understand," the smallest of the family, little Agnar, says softly, "I thought they called Eilonwy." No one has the heart to explain that his beloved sister gave herself up to this torture, and so they all keep silent. But he keeps whispering "I don't understand..."

Merida speeds up, the back of her dress, sliding against her calfs as she does so. The walk to the train station is uneventful and she is relieved to see that Esmeralda is the only one on the platform when she arrives.

"Your mother said that they'll be here in five-Oof!" Merida tightens her arms around the woman's neck and hugs her tightly. She hadn't expected to have grown so close with her mentor, and so the little moments that they shared, having both survived the Hunger Games, made Merida thankful to have a friend among a world of enemies. "Relax, Merida. It's only two weeks." The redhead loosens her grip and let's her arms fall back to her sides with a chuckle. "And this time, I know you're coming home."

"If I don't kill myself after spending two weeks in the Capitol!" The two of them laugh, but secretly, Merida has to agree with the woman. She isn't fighting this time around. She is guaranteed a spot in the train ride home.

"I brought you something," Es says, breaking her thoughts. "I hope you don't mind that I dug through your dresser to find it." The woman holds out her hand, and there, nestled in her palm, is a small, golden horse pin. Merida catches her breath.

"No Es, I..." She shakes her head and takes the pin between her fingers. "Thank you." She smiles, sincerely, at her friend, pinning the little horse onto her dress.

"I heard who the tributes are," Es sighs, suddenly shifting the conversation, an air of seriousness surrounding them. "I don't know much about Rider, but Astrid..." She shakes her head and even chuckles a little. "Well, she's a lot like you, believe it or not." Merida scoffs.

"I'll go with, 'or not'." The thought that she is anything like the stubborn, bratty blonde repulsed her.

"You'd be surprised," her friend shrugs. "Don't write her off just yet. She could be a winner. She's got a fire in her eyes, much like the one I saw in you." Her words are soft, but Merida takes them with a grain of salt.

"Astrid Hofferston is nothing like me," she says, hoping to put this conversation to an end. Esmeralda shakes her head with a smirk.

"Whatever you say..." Merida rolls her eyes as the woman cranes her neck to look beyond her shoulder and smiles. "Your family is here." She raises an eyebrow. Merida sighs.

"Look after them while I'm gone, ok?" She asks, turning to watch her parents climb the platform steps, chattering about something silly, she's sure, by the smile on her mother's face. "And if they have any nightmares..."

"I'll call."

"Thanks." She says it softly, as her mother approaches and gives her a gentle hug, followed by her father, as the triplets.

"Be safe, dear," Eleanor says with a smile. "I'll see you when you get back." It's nice to hear these words: an assured reunion. It will make her feel less distant while she's many miles away from home. Merida nods.

"I'll miss you," she replies, looking around at her family. "All of you." Even though she is still at a loss with her brothers, she can't stay mad at them. After all, they can't seem to stay mad at her either.

"Cause all kinds of trouble for us," Hamish nudges her with a grin. Merida ruffles his hair and wrinkles her nose at him.

"Now don'tcha worry about that," she says. "You know I will."

The rest of their goodbyes are short and simple. Her father hugs her without words, but it is just as sincere as the rest if her family.

"We'll look out for Angus and Tooth." Harris calls as she's boarding the train.

"Thanks," she calls back, the door sliding shut. Before she walks away from the little window, she exchanges a look with Esmeralda and sighs. The woman gives a little wave and then turns away. And that's when it becomes official. Merida is truly alone this time, and she can finally feel it_._

**Author's Notes: **

**DUN DUN DUUUUNNN! I'm excited to start writing Astrid and Flynn more! They're going to be interesting, I promise! Plus, I'll be introducing the rest of the mentors and some Tributes within the next few chapters (who will be relevant later!)**

**Funny story, I write crazy backgrounds for the Hofferston family, but they don't show up much anymore. I guess I just wanted to get a solid background! Writer problems. **

**Next chapter up soooonnn!**


End file.
